


Life On My World

by DariaDixon



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Summaries, Implied/Referenced Animal Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Romance, Trying to cover all bases
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 46,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23878351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DariaDixon/pseuds/DariaDixon
Summary: The TMNT get transported to a new planet where the only way to get back home is to end the reign of a tyrannical king.
Relationships: Michelangelo/OC
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	1. Trouble With Older Brothers

**Author's Note:**

> Time for a new story that I've been working on for the last couple months. Well... to be fair, it's not exactly new. This is a story my cousin wrote when she was still writing fanfics. She's not anymore. She posted this story a while back on a different fanfic site, but the sequels never saw the light of day. So I asked her if she wanted her stories to be read and she said yes. Depending on how this story goes, I'll also post the sequels.
> 
> I re wrote her stories, made some changes, but ultimately kept the main story plot. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> BTW, there is a made up language that is used in this story so I'll be sure to write down the words or phrases and their meanings before the chapter starts. Like this:
> 
> Kuna= Hello
> 
> Hunoi= Brother
> 
> Dahwey= 'a form of exasperation' similar to ugh
> 
> Kusadd= Bastard
> 
> Vaos= Guardians

* * *

Far away, in a galaxy light years from earth, sat a rather large, green planet called Verterra. It's a very lush planet filled to the brim with all kinds of unique flora and fauna. The plant life gave off a pulsating glow under the light of the two moons overhead. Everything seemed so peaceful.

But not everything was. On top of a hill behind a quiet village sat what looked to be a large palace, with dome like rooftops and large pillars. It looked like a home for royalty. Underneath this palace was a dungeon. Cold, dark and damp, the prisoners inside sat quietly as they waited for their nightly meal. It was all they could do while being chained up. In one particular dark cell, sat a figure leaning up against the cold wall. The figure's hands were cuffed in front of him with thick metal braces. A fairly short, thick chain started from the cuffs and ended at the wall furthest from the cell door. The figure shifted uncomfortably on the cold, hard ground. The tight black shorts he was forced to wear wasn't helping much.

Suddenly, the cell door began to open. The stone slab scraping against the stone floor was very unpleasant on the ears, but the chained figure learned to drown it out. The chained figure looked up to see someone had stepped inside. The dim lighting coming from outside the cell wasn't much, but it was enough to see who had joined him.

He had two guards on either side of him, both armed with spears. He had skin black as the night sky. He was slim, save for a few muscles. He wore white, wide legged pants, and a chunky gold headpiece atop his head. The headpiece is set liberally with black and blue gems and colorful feathers. It had a sharply angled design. It was tall and gaudy looking, but despite how heavy it looked, it was actually quite light on his head. He also wore a necklace laced with sharp teeth. He gave off this sense of elegance... and arrogance. His long, thick tail swished lazily behind him and his golden eyes peered down at the chained figure sitting on the floor. "Kuna, hunoi." he greeted, an almost twisted smile spreading across his face.

The figure on the floor looked up and glared, his own golden gaze burned into the elegant one's. This one was more of a dark blue color with red markings on his skin. Two streaks on each of his cheeks and one running down his back and along the length of his tail that was currently lashing back and forth angrily. His hair, long and jet black ran down one side of his head as the other side was shaved down. He had a bit more muscle to him and looked like he could easily take out the person standing in front of him if he wasn't chained to the wall. "What do you want?" he sneered.

"I cannot visit my dear, younger brother?" he asked, feigning hurt.

"I do not wish to see you."

"Oh, you wound me brother." the elegant one placed a hand over his chest, keeping up his façade. "It is this attitude that placed you down here in the first place."

The chained figure stood, coming eye to eye with that of his brother. "I am here because of your jealousy, Kai."

The brother, now known as Kai, chuckled darkly. "You are here because you could not accept your fate, Beloose."

Beloose rolled his eyes before taking another look at his older brother. “I see you are not even wearing our family's heirlooms.” 

“Dahwey Beloose.” Kai waved it off with a look of disgust. “Those items were not suited for me. I need these people to know who I am and establish my dominance.”

"So, you are over compensating?" Beloose spat and Kai glared at him. “You are a disgrace to our family. Kusadd.”

Kai's fist suddenly connected with his brother's jaw. Beloose fell back with a grunt. Kai's guards stepped forward, ready to finish the job, but Kai stopped them by holding his arms out in front of them. "It would be wise to watch what you say." he stared down at his defenseless brother. "As punishment for that slip of the tongue, you will not be getting a meal tonight. Next time, I will not be so nice."

"You will not get away with this, brother. I swear it." Beloose said.

“Oh, I already have, hunoi. You see, your vaos tried to stop me, but they were easily destroyed. There are none left in your territory. No one knows that you are down here, but me and my trusted men. No one will come to save you.” a sinister smile spread across his face. 

“Then why keep me alive? Why not just end my life now?”

"That would be much too simple. And besides, do you not wish to know what is happening in the village? What is happening to the villagers?" Kai maliciously teased.

“So you wish to make me suffer by torturing my people?”

Kai shrugged. “Precisely.” he laughed as he made his way out of the cell, leaving his brother in the dark once more.

* * *

Back on Earth, it was a night like any other. The guys were out on patrol, only now it wasn't as lighthearted as it used to be. Neither of the brothers had anything to say. No lighthearted teases, no seeing who's the fastest with a race, no ninja hide and seek, even Mikey wasn't saying anything. They all just ran along the rooftops in a pretty tense silence. It was really unlike them, but after what happened with Splinter, it was really hard to get into the spirit of things.

* * *

_About three months ago, Master Splinter had just gotten over his bout of really bad pneumonia. It was a close call. No one knew if he would make it despite all the help he was getting. Everyone, including April and Casey, went out of their way to make sure that Splinter was okay. When he fully recovered, everyone thought they were in the clear. He was up and about, acting like his old self again. Until one night, Splinter, who had been feeling a little fatigued, had told his sons that he would be heading to bed. It was pretty late so the turtle brothers didn't really think anything of it._

_What his sons didn't know was that he still wasn't feeling very well, not so much because of the pneumonia, but because of something else. Not wanting to worry his sons anymore, he decided that he would try to get some sleep and if he still wasn't feeling well then he would let his sons know. Too bad he never got that chance._

_Splinter reached his room and shut the door. As he headed over to his futon, he suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed, barely making a sound. He had died in his room that night and his sons didn't know until they went to check on him the next morning._

* * *

So the guys had to wake up the next morning to find their father on the floor of his room, unmoving. It was devastating. Especially for Leo. He, of course, felt responsible for what happened, thinking that he should have known that something was wrong. Since then he's been more than a little tough on his brothers, which in turn made his grieving brothers rebel a little bit. Raph spent even more time away from home, Don spent more time in his lab, working on some experiments to keep him occupied. Mikey did try to keep the family from falling apart for a while, but when Leo would berate him over the smallest of things, he eventually gave up doing that and became a bit more resentful towards his brother. 

It's not that he thought Leo didn't care about him. Mikey knew he was stressed out over Master Splinter's death and having to take full responsibility as "head of the family", but that didn't change the fact that Leo made him feel like he was useless. Like he was a burden on him or something.

They soon came to a stop when they heard a commotion coming from an alleyway. Naturally, they went to investigate. Purple Dragons were inside a jewelry store, openly robbing the place. As a couple of them exited through the broken down side door, Raph and Leo quickly took care of them. Don and Mikey followed, taking out another couple of dragons that heard what was going on. Soon the rest of the herd had flooded out, makeshift weapons at the ready.

They all jumped in for the kill as did the turtles. Leonardo quickly sliced through pipes and kicked them away. One of them wrapped a chain around Raphael's wrist to attempt to get the upper hand. Raph stepped on the chain making the Purple Dragon stumble forward right into Raph's raised knee. Donatello pole vaulted over a few of them and swept their legs out from underneath them with his bo. Michelangelo's nunchaku were a spinning blur as he knocked out several of them. 

The fight continued until something caught Mikey's attention. There was a light coming from around a corner, deeper in the alleyway. One of the dragons that Mikey thought had been knocked out took the opportunity to creep up behind the turtle with a pipe.

"Mikey, look out!" Leo's voice called, snapping him out of it. Leo made the save before his brother got his head caved in. "Focus, Mike!" Leo snapped.

"Sorry." Mikey said simply.

Soon all of the gang members were down and out. Leo sheathed his swords and angrily turned to his youngest brother. "What was that, Mikey?"

"What was what?" Mikey played dumb.

"What was with you getting distracted like that?" Leo asked, practically fuming.

"Look, I thought I saw something."

"And that was enough for you to take your eyes off of what's actually important."

"For a second, yeah. Look, it's not a big deal.” Mikey said dismissively.

“Not a big deal!” Leo snapped. "You almost got your head caved in!"

Both Raph and Don kept themselves from getting in the middle of this argument. Mikey rolled his eyes. "Okay Leo, I get it."

"I don't think you do. Remember when I told you that if one of us goes down, then we all go down."

"Yeah, yeah, you've given that speech to me already. Like five years ago."

Leo sighed, frustrated. "Let's get outta here guys." he headed back up to the rooftops. Raph followed him.

Don stayed behind a bit with Mikey. He still wasn't really sure how he felt about this new attitude his little brother had picked up. "Mikey..."

Mikey shook his head. "I don't wanna hear it, Donnie."


	2. Early morning, Late Afternoon

**Toguta= Doorway**

**Abata= Open**

* * *

On Verterra, Kai and his men stood out in a clearing in front of the palace. The clearing was just far enough away and hidden enough by surrounding trees that no one would see what was happening. Kai watched the scene in front of him intently. Two large, four legged, black and white creatures were chained to a tree. They snarled and snapped at the golden eyed Verterran standing in front of them. They continued to try and lunge at him, only to be held back by the tree they were chained to. Though how long the tree was going to hold, no one really knew as it groaned in protest to being pulled on.

Kai held up a necklace he was holding onto. At the end of the small chain sat a small, green gemstone. “Toguta, abata.” he said. The gem began to glow in his hand and a beam of light shot out to form a swirling sea green portal in front of them. An eerie, high pitched noise emanated from the portal itself.

Kai walked over to one of the snarling creatures. It stood face to face with Kai. Its black fur was matted and tangled. It looked sickeningly skinny, but still looked like it could take someone's head off with one swipe of its paw. The fur around its neck was rubbed raw due to the metal collar. Its long saber tooth fangs were caked in old, dried blood. The fur along the muzzle of the beast was gone as well, the skin underneath bleeding slightly. It was as if the fur was ripped right off quickly and painfully. Kai took a step back as the massive beast took a swipe at him with its paw. Kai smiled at his handiwork, they were perfectly vicious and wild. He could now send them off to do what he wanted them to.

One in particular seemed to pull at its restraints so bad that its paws were sinking into the ground. "Jatari, let this one go." Kai spoke to one of his people that stood off to the side, before standing directly in front of the portal. He made sure he was still in the beast's line of sight.

One of his people hesitantly stepped forward. He had maroon colored skin and was wearing a long, gray vest that reached his ankles and dark colored pants. The gray vest had a white symbol emblazoned in the upper right corner, near his shoulder. It was what looked to be a simple picture of a willow tree overlaying a hand all within an oval. He dressed differently than the other guards, who were wearing brown chest plates. Thick enough to protect them, but thin enough to move around in. They also wore shin guards of the same material.

He pulled out a short battle ax out of his sheath on his side. The beast's attention was on Kai, making it easy to come up behind it. In one swift motion he brought the ax down on the chain, slicing it cleanly in half, and the beast took off toward Kai.

“Come my precious lakra.” he taunted. As soon as the lakra was close enough, it pounced and Kai nimbly sidestepped out of the way, so the lakra practically flew through the portal. As Kai moved out of the proximity of the portal, the gemstone in his hand dimmed only a little bit and the portal disappeared.

He then proceeded to repeat the same process with the second lakra and with a different gemstone. As soon as the last portal vanished in a bright flash of light, Kai tossed both of the gemstones off to Jatari and ordered "Wait for them to come back." Jatari bowed his head and Kai began to make his way back into his palace, delighted by the chaos he was going to share.

* * *

Back on Earth, Mikey was snoring away in his bed when he was suddenly shaken. “Huh? Wha?” Mikey woke with a start. Looking around bleary eyed in his dark room, his eyes fell on the silhouette of one of his brothers. Which one? He wasn't sure.

“Get up, Mikey.” the stern voice ordered.

Mikey knew that it was Leo. “What is it, Leo?”

“Get up.” he repeated. “Meet me in the dojo.” he said simply before leaving the room.

Mikey sighed, frustrated. He threw the blanket off him and looked over to his alarm clock. It read 4:05am. _Seriously, why is he waking me up so early?_ He put his gear on, grabbed his weapons and headed out to the dojo. Once he stepped inside he saw Leo there waiting for him. “What's going on, Leo? Why did you wake me up?” Mikey asked, annoyed.

“It's time to start your training.” Leo grumbled.

“At four in the morning?”

“Yes, after what happened last night, you definitely need it.”

Mikey chuckled darkly. “So I'm being punished for what happened? Can't say I didn't see this coming.”

“Call it what you want, Mike. You still need it.” Leo withdrew his swords and got into a defensive stance. “Now get ready.”

“Fine. Whatever.”

After about two hours of getting his butt kicked, Leo finally stopped with the impromptu training session, which meant Mikey was free to go. “You've really got to focus, Mikey.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Get off my shell already.” he got up off the matted floor and headed for the door. He only stopped when Leo placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I'm serious, Mikey.”

Mikey shrugged the hand off and said. “Yeah, so am I.” he made his way out of the dojo. Now that he was up and had a full workout he kind of couldn't go back to sleep. His adrenaline was pumping a bit too much for him to even try to sleep. He saw a light coming from a crack in the door to Donnie's lab. _Brainiac must still be awake, or he just woke up early. Might as well see what he's up to_. He made his way to the lab and of course, there was Don at his computer, except he wasn't typing away like he usually does, he didn't even look like he was working on anything. Instead, he was scrolling through some sort of article by the looks of it. "Hey Don, what are you doing?"

Don jumped a bit, obviously he wasn't expecting a visit from his younger brother. "Hey, what are you doing up?"

"Leo woke me up to train with him."

"This early in the morning?" Don asked.

"Yeah, he thinks I needed it to help me focus."

Don turned to look at him, ignoring the monitor and whatever he happened to be looking at. "I mean, you were kind of distracted during that fight. Leo just wants you to be safe."

"You think so too, huh?" Mikey sighed and leaned against his brother's work desk with his arms crossed.

Don stood up from his chair and stood eye to eye with his brother. Don could tell there was something on his mind. He just wasn't sure what it was. Mikey was the last one to show any sort of negative emotion after Splinter's passing. He instead chose to try and lift everyone else's spirits because that's just what Mikey did. He always tried to put everybody else's feelings before his own. He was the light during the dark times, but this time it didn't seem to work. Don guessed that everything was finally hitting him at once. He has noticed that Leo has been extra hard on him lately, but maybe there was more to it. The only way he was going to figure anything out is if he asked. "What's been going on, Mike?"

"Nothing, it's just..." Mikey paused, struggling to find the right words. "Do you think I'm a burden?"

Donnie's eyes widened a bit at what he said. "What?"

"Am I a burden on you or on all of you as a team?" he asked a bit more specifically.

"No, not at all. I don't think you're a burden on any of us."

Mikey's shoulders drooped as another sigh escaped him. "Well, at least one of us doesn't."

"Mikey... is this how you've been feeling lately?"

"Well, not at first, but Leo has kinda been putting the thought in my head."

It was Don's turn to sigh. So there was something wrong. "I just think the stress of suddenly becoming the head of the household has kinda gotten to him, that's all. I don't think that he feels that you're a burden either. We're all just dealing with our grief in different ways."

"Yeah, and his way of dealing with grief is to make me feel like crap apparently."

"I don't think that's what he's trying to do."

"Well, that's how it comes off." Mikey sighed again. "I appreciate you trying to help me feel better, but I don't think it's working. I think I need to get out of here for awhile. Get far away from here... away from him."

Don kept quiet. The fact that his younger brother was feeling so down on himself that he felt like he needed to get away from his home and from his brothers unnerved him, but at the same time, he understood. The silence and tension throughout the lair was pretty suffocating at times, so much so that Don stayed in his lab way more often then usual. He even thought about getting out more. He shrugged "Yeah, I hear you. Well, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

Mikey's blue eyes met Don's brown ones before giving him a small smile. "Thanks bro." it was nice having someone to talk to. "So..." Mikey changed the subject to something not involving him."What were you looking at on your computer? You seemed to be into whatever you were looking at?"

Don turned back to his computer that still had the article he was reading through. "Oh, well, I found this weird story about the jewelry store robbery that we stopped last night."

"What about it?"

"Apparently some of the dragons that we left there for the police, went missing."

Mikey's curiosity piqued when he heard that "They went missing?"

"Yeah, but here's the weird part. They were dragged away, deeper into the alleyway. Police found them, torn to shreds."

"What?"

"They think that it was some sort of animal that did it. They were covered in claw marks." Don scrolled through the article. "And to make matters worse, this isn't the first attack. There were about three other similar deaths in other countries, but no one reported on it."

"Wow, I'm not sure what to say to that."

Don then thought of something. "You said you saw some sort of light while we were fighting the Purple Dragons, right?"

Mikey nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"Do you think that had something to do with these deaths?"

Mikey didn't think about it that way. "I mean, maybe. I don't think I want to find out though."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think.


	3. Problems In The City And The Village

**Au'tin= Mother**

**Grahatai= Thank you**

**Vao= Guardian**

**Hunai= Sister**

* * *

_**A week later** _

The turtles found themselves in the middle of the biggest mystery ever. The string of murders only continued to grow all over the world and the killer continued to elude authorities. Mikey never saw that weird light again, but after talking to Don he just couldn't help, but feel like that had something to do with the random maulings.

The guys were having a hard time finding any sort of clue as to what could be killing these people and it was starting to get a bit frustrating.

"Dead end after dead end. Whoever this is, they're sending us on a wild goose chase." Raph exclaimed.

"Who? Or what?" Don asked, thoughtfully.

"What are you talking about, Don?" Leo asked.

"We haven't seen the bodies, but from what I've heard this doesn't sound like a person would be able to do this." Mikey added. "It has to be some sort of animal. A really big one."

"And how is this animal getting to places all around the world, especially this quickly?" Leo asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Makes about as much sense as a person getting around the world this quickly, doesn't it?" Mikey quickly replied, with the same amount of sarcasm.

Donnie noticed this and lightly nudged Mikey in the side. By the look on Leo's face, he noticed it too.

"What's your problem now, Mikey?" Leo asked.

"What do you mean?" Mikey asked, once again playing dumb. "I'm not the one with a problem."

"Alright you two, now is not the time for this." Don spoke up before things could get worse.

Raph's shell cell began ringing. He sighed and picked up. It was Casey. "What's up, Casey?" Raph asked.

"We found one, Raph."

"Really, where?" Raph asked, now listening intently.

"Right outside our place. April found it." Casey explained.

"Alright, we'll be right over." Raph said before hanging up. He looked to his brothers. "April found a body outside of her place."

"Should we check it out?" Don asked.

"Yeah, let's go." Leo responded after aiming another stern glance toward his youngest brother. He took off across the rooftops and his brothers followed. 

Mikey intentionally fell behind the rest of the group. Raph noticed this and slowed down to his little brother's pace. “Hey Mike, what's happening? You're usually ahead of all of us.”

Mikey didn't respond and only looked ahead at Leo. Raph got the hint. “Don't let him get to you. He'll get over this high and mighty attitude eventually.”

Mikey scoffed at the idea. “Right.”

Once they got to their destination, Casey was already standing outside the door of the antique shop, waiting for them to arrive. "Hey guys, glad you could make it. I figured you would want to see it before I called the cops. Maybe you can figure out what's doing this if you see it."

"Where's April?" Don asked.

Casey sighed. "She's inside. When she saw the body, she freaked out. I can't say that I blame her."

"I'll go see how she's doing." Mikey volunteered, partially because he wanted to get away from Leo. Mikey stepped inside the apartment, leaving the remaining three with Casey. 

Inside, Mikey found his red headed friend sitting up against one of the display cases trembling. "Hey April." he greeted cautiously.

April looked up at him, startled. Her eyes were red and puffy showing Mikey that she had just finished crying. "Oh, hey Mikey."

"How are you holding up?"

"About as well as I can be considering what I saw tonight." despite everything, April managed a small smile.

"It was that bad?"

"You didn't see it?" she asked.

"No, I volunteered to come and check on you instead. My brothers can handle whatever is out there."

April decided to change the subject. Anything to take her mind off of what she had seen. "How are you and your brothers doing lately? Have you guys been talking to each other?"

Mikey shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I've talked to Don and I talk to Raph too, but he's a guy of few words. It's Leo that's the real problem for me right now."

"What's going on with him?"

"I think he sees me as nothing but a burden to him."

"Oh Mike, that's not true."

"Yeah, Don said the same thing to me. I still think you're both wrong." just then something caught Mikey's eye. There, outside one of April's windows, was a greenish glow. The same green glow that he saw a week ago during the fight with the Purple Dragons. Mikey was so focused on that light that he completely missed what April was saying to him.

"Sorry April, hold that thought." he headed over to the window and pried it open.

"Mikey, where are you going?" April called out.

"I'll be right back." Mikey called back before climbing out the window. Leaving a confused April behind.

Once out, he followed the glow. The closer he got, the brighter the glow got and the louder the eerie shrill sound became. He came up to a dead end, or what was supposed to be a dead end. Up against a brick wall, sat a portal. Mikey had seen his fair share of portals over the years, but he'd never seen one like this. He stared intently at the bright green swirling mass on the wall. He kept a fair distance away from it, in case someone or something came out of it.

Nothing did.

Mikey took a couple more steps back until he bumped into something. Whatever he bumped was covered in hair. It growled menacingly, sounding like a mix between a tiger and a bear. Mikey slowly turned around to face... well, he wasn't really sure. The creature stood taller than Mikey's almost six foot frame. The fur covering most of its body was black as the night sky, aside from the white paws. The fur around its neck was gone ,clearly rubbed away by the metal collar wrapped tightly around its neck. The raw skin underneath was bleeding pretty badly. The fur along the muzzle was also gone. Its eyes glowed an angry red and its long saber tooth fangs were caked in the blood of its latest victim. Its long tail lashed back and forth.

"So... I'm guessing you're what's causing this mess." he deduced, speaking directly to it. He wasn't expecting a response, he was just thinking out loud. "You're definitely not from around here." he took several steps back, away from the beast. "Maybe you're from wherever that leads to." he said, referring to the bright, swirling green mass behind him.

The beast crouched down low, ready to pounce. "Easy now," Mikey's voice quivered a bit as he held out his arm in front of him. "I'm not here to hurt you."

Before Mikey could say anymore the beast pounced. Mikey let out his signature girly scream before ducking and rolling out of the way. The hungry beast's momentum caused it to fly over Mikey's head and go through the portal behind him. Mikey backed away and the portal shrunk away to nothing. In a bright flash, it was gone.

* * *

As Mikey went inside, Casey led the remaining turtles to the trash cans that the body was hidden behind. Don pulled a flashlight out of his duffel bag and followed. There was a trail of blood that they noticed as they got closer. They could see two feet poking out from behind the can. When they got a full view of it, they realized that it was just as bad as the news reports mentioned. This guy was lying in a pool of his own blood. A chunk of his side was missing, like something took a bite out of him. His insides spilled out over the concrete and large claw marks covered his face, chest and shoulders.

Don moved the flashlight back toward the blood trail, examining it closely while his two older brothers spoke to Casey. Next to the trail were bloody tracks, but they weren't human footprints. They looked like the tracks of a big cat, like a lion or tiger, but Don knew they weren't. They were much larger than your average wild cat and they only had three digits compared to a lion who would have four. This is... weird. What could have left these?

Don looked up to his brothers and Casey. "Hey guys..." he started, but before he could let them know what he was seeing they heard a scream. It was Mikey's girly scream that everyone has become so used to. "That sounded like it came from outside." Don took off running in the direction of the yell, Raph was close behind, Leo and Casey followed. "Mikey!" Don called.

"Mikey, where are you!?" Raph called seconds later.

When Mikey didn't respond, Don assumed something happened. They turned the corner and they found Mikey sitting on the ground staring blankly at a wall. "Mikey, are you okay?" Don knelt down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Mikey tore his gaze away from the wall to look to his brothers and Casey. "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine." he got up off the ground.

"What're you doing over here?" Leo asked, stern as ever. "I thought you were checking on April."

"I was," Mikey said. He looked to his eldest brother and couldn't stand that look Leo was giving him. It was a mix of annoyance and disappointment. He was being a burden again. Mikey averted his gaze and he just couldn't tell him what happened. "I thought I saw something out the window and it turned out to be a stray cat."

"You seem to be seeing lots of things lately." Leo mentioned.

"Yep, that's it. I'm seeing things." Mikey said. "I'm totally crazy."

Leo just shook his head. "Come on, we're heading back to the lair." he turned away from his brothers and headed for home.

"Okay, bye to you too, Leo." Casey said, only slightly annoyed that Leo wouldn't even spare a passing glance.

Raph sighed and shook his head. "I'll see you later, Case." he said before following his older brother.

Don looked to Mikey, studying his face. "You okay?" he asked.

Mikey chuckled darkly. "No. Not really." he spoke briefly before taking off after his brothers.

* * *

On the outskirts of the palace in Verterra sat a village called Ithri. It was currently bustling with life. Ithri held many homes built with pale yellow brick-like pieces. Each home had a dome shaped roof for when the rain came rolling in. There was a large area right in the center of the village that the homes surrounded.

Children played, while the adults went about taking care of the needs of themselves and their families. Some were making clothes, some were bringing food in from the forest and others were making repairs to their homes. Everyone was keeping busy and trying to feel a sense of normalcy despite what was looming in the palace behind their village. 

Someone came rushing into the village on the back of a lakra. Except this one was more tame and docile. This one had black fur covering its body and thick, fluffy, silver colored fur around its neck. It had golden yellow eyes and a three pronged dark gray horn along its muzzle and sprouting out just above its head. Riding on its back was a young man with snow white skin and dark blue shoulder length hair. He wore a long buttoned down grey vest that reached his ankles and a pair of dark colored pants. The vest currently had a tear in it and blood poured out of the gaping wound in the man's left side. Everyone nearby stopped what they were doing to look up at the young man. He nodded to them and they continued about their business.

His blood red eyes peered down at the small bundle he held in his arms. The green child looked back at him with a green gaze. His tousled dark red hair falling away from his face. His green tail wrapped around the muscular white arm of the young man as he cuddled against his broad chest. "Aye Fial, let us get you home." the young man spoke gently to the child. The child nodded, wiping tears from his eyes.

The young man hopped off the beast's back and headed toward one of the homes. He knocked on the wood paneling of the door and waited. Seconds later, a woman slid the door open. She had green skin matching the child's, white eyes and waist length red hair. It looked like she had been crying up until a few seconds ago. When she saw who was at her door, a bright smile formed at her lips.

"Au'tin!" the child shouted excitedly. He held out his arms toward the woman.

The woman reached out and took the child from the young man's arms. "Oh Fial, you are alright!" she hugged her child close to her chest. She looked up to the man standing in the doorway. "Grahatai, Vao Dax."

The young man called Dax smiled sympathetically. He then winced and placed a hand to his injured side. His blood seeping through his fingers.

"You are wounded."

"I am alright, Narta. Do not worry. Avery will help me. Fial, stay out of the forest. It is much too dangerous."

"I will, Vao Dax." Fial said snuggling up to his mother.

With a final goodbye he stepped away from their home. He looked to the black and gray beast that was sitting and waiting for him. Dax stepped up to him and gently placed a hand on the three pronged horn along his muzzle. The beast responded by nuzzling against his hand with a sad whine. "Come, Tam-Tam, time to visit Avery." Dax took a short walk over to the medical pavilion. It was a much larger yellow brick-like structure than the homes all around it. He opened the sliding door and stepped inside, leaving Tam-Tam outside to wait. 

Doors lined one side. Right in the middle of the hall was a branching path leading to more rooms for the sick and injured. At the end of that hall was an unoccupied room filled with their medical supplies. Lanterns dotted the area for when it gets dark. The main hall led to a room where patients and patient's families were given meals. There were quite a few people in there from what he could see. He made his way there and stood in the doorway. The large room had several long, wooden tables that were low to the ground. People of every shape, size, and color either sat down on the cushioned floor or kneeled as they ate while other people dressed in white robes moved about, catering to them. 

The wounded man scanned the room until he saw who he was looking for. A young woman. She looked to be around the same age as Dax. She also has snow white skin and dark blue hair in a fishtail braid down her back. She wore a white robe. The skirt part of the robe reached just below the knees and had short, black, diagonal stripes near the bottom. Those same diagonal stripes were at the ends of her wide sleeves. Her amethyst colored eyes lit up as she happily placed a meal in front of one of her injured patients.

"Hunai." Dax said, catching her attention.

The girl gasped at the sight. "Dax, what happened?" she ran up to him and began examining the wound.

"I am fine, Avery. Fial went wandering around in the forest by himself and was almost gored by a subius."

Avery quickly led him to an empty room. She slid the door open, guided him in and had him sit down on a cushioned mat. "Your chaltiga is torn. I will take care of that for you as well."

Dax unbuttoned the long vest and pulled the material off of his shoulders revealing the many scars littering his body. One jagged scar ran diagonally across his chest and abdomen. It was the most obvious one.

Avery placed the chaltiga aside and got a better look at the wound. It looked rather deep and would have to be closed up before being covered up. Avery stood and walked over to a wall. She opened a small compartment and pulled out a white needle, a generous amount of twine, a small knife and a clean cloth. She prepped the needle before gently cleaning the blood away from the wound with the cloth. She then began to stitch the wound closed. 

Dax winced slightly, but other than that, he didn't move. Avery sighed sadly. “I wish you would be more careful.” she spoke softly. 

“Sometimes that is impossible. It is my duty to protect you and the people of this village and that means that I may have to take risks.” he replied stiffly. “As far as I am concerned, I am the only remaining vao. I have to do what I must.”

“I know, but I am just worried. I do not wish for anything to happen to you. Ever since father was killed, I have been so afraid of losing you as well. You are the only family I have left.”

Dax sighed. “Avery, I know that you want me to be safe.” he smiled gently. “But I am supposed to be keeping you safe. It is a shame that I have not been able to do that.” 

Avery looked up at him and knew what he was talking about. “You can only do what you can.” 

“And it is still not enough. I am sorry.”

Brother and sister locked eyes for a moment. “Do not apologize. What is happening with me is not your fault.”  
  
Dax closed his eyes as the memories that lead up to their current problems raced through his mind. His face suddenly angry. “You are right. It is the fault of that traitor.” he said before falling silent, choosing to let his sister work in peace. 

Avery finished the stitching and cut the twine with the small knife. “Wait here.” she stood, smoothing out her robe. “I will be right back.”

Dax nodded and she began to leave with his chaltiga in hand. Leaving Dax alone with his thoughts. 


	4. Stakeout

The next night on earth, Mikey lied awake in bed staring at the ceiling. The events of the night prior was keeping him from getting any sleep. That portal. That animal. Where did it come from? Why was it coming here? Mikey shut his eyes and thought back. He remembered the beast's glowing red eyes as it stared him down, remembered its matted fur, the bleeding skin underneath that metal collar around its neck. It looked kind of skinny, as if it was being starved. Mikey sort of felt bad for it.

He heaved a heavy sigh and turned over in bed. He heard his door opening behind him, but he didn't bother looking back to see who it was. He just assumed it was Leo again coming in for an extra early... or extra late training session with him. "Hey Mike? You awake?" the voice at his door whispered.

Mikey quickly sat up and looked to the doorway "Donnie?" he asked. What's up?" he turned on his bedside lamp so he can see his older brother.

"Can we talk?" Don asked simply.

This was different. Usually Mikey was the one that wanted to talk. "Um... sure. What about?"

"It's about what happened last night. What did you see?"

Mikey looked away and shrugged. "I told you, it was just a stray cat."

Don walked over to his brother's bed after shutting the door and sat down on the edge. "I told you that you could talk to me, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did."

"So why can't you tell me what you actually saw?"

Mikey shrugged again. "Why does it matter?"

Don sighed. "Because when we were looking at the body, I found tracks from some animal, but I have no idea what. These tracks don't look like anything that I've seen before."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. So what did you see?"

Mikey took a deep breath and began explaining everything from seeing the light again, to finding the portal, to bumping into that massive creature. Don sat and listened intently. Absorbing in every bit of information he could. When Mikey finished, Don stood. "You wanna check it out?"

Mikey gave him an odd look. "What?"

"Yeah, come on let's go take a look."

"Without Leo and Raph?" Mikey asked.

"Yep, you said you wanted to get out more. Maybe we can find out why this is happening." Don continued. "Besides, Raph would get too antsy at the stakeout and do you really want to be around Leo right now."

Mikey could see what Don was trying to do. "No, not really. But where do we even start looking? The portal shows up at random."

"Then let's go to the first place that you saw that light. Have our first stakeout there."

"Near the jewelry store?"

Don nodded. "Exactly."

"How do you know if it'll show up there?"

"I don't, but it can't hurt to check it out." Don said and Mikey sighed in response. "What have we got to lose?"

Mikey looked up to Don and sighed again before standing. "...Fine, I'm in."

"Meet you downstairs in a little bit." Don stated before leaving the room.

Mikey collected his weapons and headed to the lower level of the lair. Don wasn't there yet so he must've still been getting ready.

"Where are you headed?"

Mikey flinched at the voice and turned around to see Raph standing behind him with his arms crossed. "I-I'm just heading out with Don for a bit." he stuttered slightly.

"Oh really. Where to?" Raph asked suspiciously.

"He's coming with me to the junkyard." Don answered as he left his lab, duffel bag over his shoulder.

Raph eyed them both and he sighed. "Listen Mike, I know Leo's been hard on you lately so I get it. I don't blame you for wanting to get outta here as much as possible, but do you really think this is a good idea right now."

Mikey shrugged. "Probably not." Raph rolled his eyes in response. "Look, it's fine. I've got Donnie coming with me."

Raph gave in after a couple moments of silence. "Okay, but be careful out there."

"We will." Don said. Raph walked away while the two youngest headed out the door.

Once out on the rooftops, they made a beeline for the jewelry store. Unlike last time, Mikey was way ahead of his brother and he only stopped when he made it to their location.

"Wow Mikey, I haven't seen you move that fast in a while."

Mikey rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

Don placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. “Don't worry about it. It's good to see you moving like you used to."

"Yeah." he said and looked over the edge of the building. "Okay, that's where the fight was." Mikey pointed to the alley below them. Don followed his line of sight. "And I saw the light come from around the corner." he walked along the edge of the building until he made it to the back entrance of the store and the dead end of the alleyway. "So it must have been somewhere around here."

"Alright." Don sat down on the edge with his legs dangling over the side. "Let the stakeout begin."

Mikey chuckled and followed his brother's lead. "What's in the bag?" he asked curiously.

"Mostly just snacks. There's no telling how long we'll be out here." he opened up the duffel bag and pulled out a bag of chips and offered them to Mikey.

He took them gratefully and opened them up, immediately gorging on the salty snack. "So what's up, Donnie? What's the real reason we're out here?"

"I told you, we're here to figure out what's been going on." Don said simply.

"Yeah, but if that's what we're doing, then I feel like we should be doing more than just sitting here."

Don shrugged. "Well, we don't have much to go on except what you told me."

"That's true, I guess."

"Let's just stick it out. Do what we do best, protect the people in this city."

Mikey smiled sadly. "Right."

Don lightly nudged his brother. "Isn't that what the Turtle Titan was all about?"

The youngest chuckled. "Yeah, but let's face it. The Turtle Titan only existed because I wanted to be acknowledged for the good I do. I'm not saying that I wanted to be showered with gifts or anything, but just a simple thank you would've been nice, you know?"

Don reached over and grabbed some chips. "Yeah, I get it."

"Anyway, the Turtle Titan went away when Master Splinter got sick and that was only supposed to be temporary. Then after he died, I just didn't have the energy to keep that going." Mikey shrugged. "So right now the Turtle Titan is retired."

That's how they spent most of the stakeout. Just sitting on the rooftop and talking. Mikey could feel like a bunch of weights were lifted off his shoulders the more he talked. Before either one of them knew it, it was three in the morning and there was no sign of the portal.

"It's getting late. We should head back." Don said checking the time on his shell cell.

"Yeah, Leo's probably getting ready to wake me for early morning training." Mikey grouched, clearly not ready to go back to the lair.

He stood up and Don followed suit. "What do you say? Try again tomorrow?"

"Sounds good."

But before they could leave, they were greeted by the very thing that they had been on the lookout for. They both looked down and on the wall sat the green portal. “There it is!” Mikey exclaimed, quickly hopping down to stare at it. Don was behind him seconds later.

“Wow!” Don stated. “So this is where they came from?”

“Yeah, but the last time I saw it, the creature was returning to it.”

“So then something must be coming out of it.” Don said.

As if confirming what Don said, the same black beast with white paws came through. It was already mid pounce, as if it was going to attack someone else, but ended up going through the portal instead. 

Mikey didn't move out of the way fast enough and was quickly pinned down with its massive paws. Its claws digging into Mikey's skin causing the terrapin to scream in pain. 

“Mikey!” Don shouted. He pulled out his bo staff and swung it, catching the beast on the side of the face. The attack didn't knock it out, but it did disorient it. The beast hopped off of Mikey and shook its head. It turned its attention back to the brothers, eyes glowing an angry red. Mikey stood clutching his now bleeding right shoulder. “Quick Mikey, back up to the roof!”

Don and Mikey hopped back up the fire escape. Mikey managed to grab only the bottom rung of the ladder with his uninjured arm, but the beast was a lot faster than it looked. It quickly moved underneath Mikey, stood on his hind legs, making it seem even larger, clamped down on Mikey's left leg with its front paws and easily pulled him down. Mikey landed on the cold concrete, flat on his shell, knocking the wind out of him. 

Don, thinking quickly, hopped off the fire escape onto the beast's back. He grabbed the small piece of chain that was wrapped around its neck and pulled back. The beast didn't like the extra weight on its back or that its collar was being tugged on, so it began bucking and rearing in its attempt to remove the mutant turtle from its back. The beast managed to succeed when a violent buck caused him to lose his grip and he went flying into the nearest dumpster.

Mikey struggled to catch his breath and stand on his bleeding left leg. He managed to take a quick look back at the portal still swirling behind him. Giving him the only light he had to see what was going on. The beast turned his attention back to the bleeding turtle. The blood pouring from his wounds seemed to attract it toward him. Then without much warning, the beast pounced on him again, but this time Mikey was pushed back through the portal and it almost immediately closed soon after.

“Mikey! No!” Don yelled, not caring if he woke anybody. He ran to the wall, hoping it would come back. “Oh no. No, no, no, no, this can't be happening.”

But it was happening, his little brother was being taken to, who knows where while being attacked by whatever that creature was. He was already wounded, Donnie couldn't imagine what was happening to him right now. “I have to get the others.”

The genius turtle quickly made his way back to the lair, while trying to think of how he was going to tell his older brothers that Mikey was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no, what's going to happen to him?  
> Find out in the next chapter.


	5. Mikey meets Dax

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toguta= doorway  
> Ven wayo=come with me

Dax leaned up against a tree as he watched the last lakra go through the portal. Kai tossed the green gem towards one of his men instead of Dax. The guard placed the gem in a pouch strapped to his leg. It was obvious that Kai didn't trust him to do what he was supposed to, as he sneered and walked away from them. Dax rolled his eyes as he sauntered away, back to the palace. All he had to do was wait for the lakra to return, so he could help restrain it.

He was completely against the mistreatment of these lakras, but he could only do so much to try to stop it.

He looked to his left and then to his right. On both sides stood two of Kai's guards. They each had their protective brown chest plates, shin guards and a spear to protect themselves, while Dax stood there with his chaltiga and two black leather gauntlets, each with two sharp blades strapped to each side of him. Kai's guards kept a very watchful eye on him, in case he decided to try something, which he was known for doing. There had been quite a few times when Dax was very non-compliant with Kai's orders. Now Kai makes sure to keep people he trusts around to watch him and to control the lakras when they get back.

With the current situation he was in when it came to his sister, he found that having guards watch him was a bit unnecessary.

Dax looked to where the portal was still swirling and his eyes narrowed. He stood up a little bit straighter causing the guards around him to tense up. _The Toguta is still open. That is never good._ Dax thought, getting ready to fight whoever or whatever came through. The four guards flanking him also turned their attention toward the portal.

When two figures came through, they were shocked. The lakra had pounced on someone with skin matching the grass beneath his feet. The current prey had both of his feet pressed firmly against the wild beast's neck keeping it from sinking its teeth into his flesh. The four guards cautiously moved forward, but the lakra instantly turned its attention toward them. Leaving the person alone on the ground, the lakra quickly and unexpectedly pounced on one of the guards and sunk its teeth into his throat. It relentlessly tore into the flesh giving its previous prey the opportunity to scoot away as best he could with his wounded leg.

The lakra fought to get to another guard, but he managed to keep away. Dax looked to the injured person and slowly made his way toward him while the lakra was being kept busy. When he got close enough he made contact by tapping him on the shoulder. He looked up at Dax, confused and exhausted. The blood pouring from the wounds on his right shoulder and left leg probably weren't helping.

To Dax, he looked just like an average Verterran so without really thinking, Dax spoke in his native language. "Ven wayo."

Mikey shook his head, confused. "What?"

Realizing the language he was speaking wasn't Avati, he immediately switched. "Come with me. Hurry!"

Mikey attempted to push himself off the ground with his good arm. When he did, however, he felt something prick his hand. He hissed in pain and watched as a small creature scurried into a nearby bush.

"What happened?" Dax asked. Mikey showed him the palm of his hand where a yellow quill was sticking out of it. Dax's eyes widened and he pulled the quill out. _Oh no. Poison._

Mikey must have noticed his facial expression."What? What is it?"

_I cannot let him know what is wrong. If he panics, then the venom will only spread faster._ "We have to hurry. Come."

Dax gently guided Mikey through the dense forest. Leading him away from the chaos. Mikey wasn't too sure about this, but with his wounds, he wasn't going to be winning any fights, so he slowly limped beside the white skinned man. He still kept his guard up, or at least, he tried to.

A couple minutes of trudging through in silence and Mikey started to lag behind as he began feeling a bit light headed. He figured it was from the blood loss. He shook his head to clear out the foggy feeling and kept moving as best he could. He looked up at Dax and spoke.

"Who are you?"

Without turning around or stopping he said. "My name is Dax."

"Where are you taking me, Dax?"

"Some place to get your wounds taken care of." Dax answered.

"Okay." Mikey said simply. They walked in silence some more. Mikey took the opportunity to get a good look around. Everywhere he looked there were trees towering over them, sprouting a thick array of colorful leaves from its long, dark red branches. The sun's rays peeked through the canopy, warming his cool skin. Around him, at his feet were various, colorful plants that he had never seen before. _Don probably would love to study these._ He thought back to his brother and hoped he was okay.

Every once in a while a strange looking animal would pop out. Dax ignored them and continued forward, but Mikey couldn't do the same. He watched as a blue furred creature pranced by. He didn't get a good look at it, it moved pretty fast. It was a blur. Mikey looked around a bit more and realized that everything was kind of blurry. He also noticed a weird tingling in his hand. He looked down at it and saw that his hand was slowly turning black around the area where that yellow quill was. He stopped in place and watched as it slowly spread and began covering his palm.

The world around him began to spin and colors began to melt together. He felt weaker, his legs couldn't hold him up anymore and he fell to his knees as it became harder for him to breathe. When Dax didn't hear footsteps behind him, he turned back and he was by his side in an instant. "Come, we are almost there." Dax gently coaxed, trying to help Mikey stand.

Mikey attempted to stand, but his limbs felt heavy, keeping him grounded against his will.

_The poison is spreading. If we do not hurry..._ Dax thought and without hesitation, he easily hoisted the mutant turtle up on his shoulders. He took off at a light jog, making Mikey very uncomfortable. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't open his mouth to protest. Seconds later, he blacked out.

* * *

Back on Earth, Donnie ran into the lair in a frenzy. He quickly ran into his eldest brother's room. "Leo! Leo!" Don shouted. "Wake up!"

"What!?" Leo woke up, startled. "Don? What is it?"

"Mikey is gone!" Don said, quickly.

"What!?" Leo repeated now fully awake.

"Come on, get up!" Don practically dragged his brother out of his bed, barely giving him anytime to collect his gear and swords before leading him to their red banded brother's room. Don proceeded to shake Raph just like he did with Leo.

"Donnie? What the hell!?" Raph growled, sitting up in his hammock.

"What is going on, Don?" Leo asked, exasperated.

"And where's Mikey?" Raph added, noticing that someone was missing.

"He's gone." Don repeated. His distressed brain could only muster those words as an explanation.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Leo asked.

"He... we were attacked by something that came out of a portal. It wounded him and pushed him through the portal. Now I don't know where he is. He's gone! He's just gone!" Donnie tried catching his breath as he explained the current situation.

Leo seemed confused, worried and upset all at the same time. "What were you two thinking?"

"I was trying to help him feel better. I wasn't actually expecting to get attacked." Don explained his side.

"Alright, listen. We don't have time for this. We got a brother missing." Raph said, interrupting them both.

Leo sighed. "You're right, Raph. Don, take us to where you were." he was trying to remain as calm as possible despite the knot twisting in his stomach. His youngest brother was wounded and missing. He could be anywhere, dying. Somewhere where they can't get to him. Leo quickly followed his brothers out of the lair, determined not to lose another member of his family.


	6. To Save a Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lo kalua= I'm sorry
> 
> Eso deska?= Are you okay?
> 
> Isi= Yes
> 
> Grahatai= Thank you

The brother returned to the village with the young mutant in tow. He made his way to the infirmary and brought him to his sister. Avery quickly sprang into action once Dax explained what had happened.

Dax carefully laid him down on a mat in an empty room. Avery wrapped his bleeding leg in bandages and began taking care of his bleeding shoulder.

"Do you have what you need for the poison?" Dax asked.

"Unfortunately, no." Avery shook her head sadly. She finished taking care of his shoulder and looked at his hand as the growing blackness continued to cover his hand. "There is one more item I need and we recently ran out."

"What is it? I will retrieve it for you." he volunteered.

"I need the kesinian plant." she responded while she covered her new patient's violently shaking form with a handmade quilt that was kept in each room. "You know where they are?"

"I do."

"Then go and hurry" she ordered as her patient started coughing up blood. She tilted his head to the side and covered his mouth with a cloth. "before it is too late."

Dax nodded and was gone in seconds. Avery stood and poked her head out the door. She called out to the first person she happened to see. "Nati."

A woman with hot pink colored skin and long black hair looked up from what she was doing. She wore a knee length white robe similar to Avery's, only hers didn't have the diagonal, black stripes on the end of the skirt and sleeves. Her honey colored eyes met Avery's amethyst ones. "I need you to do something for me." Nati approached her. Her tail dragged along the floor behind her. "I need treatment prepared for someone poisoned by a besol."

Nati nodded and walked off toward the back med room.

Avery stepped back into the room and knelt down beside the mutant. His breathing was ragged and his green skin was becoming paler. The poison is spreading quickly. She thought. Please hurry, brother.

* * *

Don had led his two older brothers to the place where he and Mikey were just hours ago.

"This is where you were all night?" Raph asked. "I thought you were going to the junkyard."

"We just didn't want you to know what we were up to." Don explained. "I just brought him out here mostly to get him out of lair. He needed to get out so I helped him."

Leo's emotions flared up again. His youngest brothers lied, got themselves into trouble and, as a result, one of them has gone missing. Before he could stop himself, he snapped. "I can't believe you were so irresponsible, Don!"

"What!? Me!?"

"Why would you think that going off on your own was a good idea?"

"It's not like we expected to run into any trouble." Don lied. "It kind of just... happened."

"Things like this don't just happen!" Leo snapped. "Don't you get that our brother could be stranded in the middle of nowhere, dying!?"

Don couldn't hold back anymore. "Are you serious!? You don't think I know how bad this is!?" Don snapped back. "Of course I know!" Leo blinked, unprepared for this barrage from the genius turtle. "We only came out here because he couldn't stand being at home anymore! And he can't stand being at home because of you! And with the way you're acting right now, I can't say I blame him!" Those words cut like a knife. Leo definitely wasn't prepared for this. Don, on the other hand, just couldn't stop what he had started. He was furious. "Now, if you're done pointing fingers, Mr. High and Mighty, we have a brother to save. Just in case you forgot." Don turned away and headed back up to the rooftop. Leaving a stunned Leo behind.

Raph crossed his arms and gave his brother a look. Leo met his disappointed gaze and sighed. The younger of the two looked like he wanted to say something, but decided against it and instead went with a shake of his head and a scowl that Leo was used to seeing. Raph followed Don up to the roof. "So, what do we do, Donnie?" Raph asked getting worried, but trying his hardest to remain as level headed as possible. Don had to commend him, normally he would be flying off the handle right about now.

Still, Don wasn't entirely sure about what to do. He and Mikey saw the portal at this very spot, but perhaps that was just pure luck. Was it really just completely random? Were they really going to have to risk waiting on a chance? Don did not like the sound of that. He ran a hand down his face and sighed. For once, he didn't have an actual solution to their current problem. "I... think we have to wait." he finally said.

"What!? But Don..." Leo got ready to start up again.

"I know, I know. I don't like it either, but according to Mikey and what we know, these portals have been showing up all over the world. They've only shown up in two places here in New York, as far as we know, so our best bet would be to wait at one of the two locations and hope for the best."

Raph placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. "It's okay, bro. We know you're doing what you can. We'll find him."

Don nodded. "I just hope we find him soon."

* * *

Dax still hadn't returned with the item Avery needed, so Mikey had to be given a treatment in order to stay alive. It wasn't going to stop the venom from spreading, but it would at least slow it down, giving her enough time to make the antidote when Dax returned. She brought a small wooden bowl with a gel like substance into Mikey's room and knelt down next to him. She took a bit of that gel substance and rubbed it into the poison's original point of entry, which was Mikey's left hand, which had turned completely black from the poison at this point. His body automatically flinched and Avery knew why. It stung. "Lo kalua." she spoke gently in her native tongue. He whimpered in response before quieting down.

She felt bad, but at least she knew it was working. Once all of the gel was successfully applied into the wound, she collected the bowl and stood to leave.

* * *

Dax returned sometime later with as many of the kesinian plants that he could carry. Avery took a few of them from him, while he put the rest away. She then proceeded to tear the long, dark leaves and lavender berries off the long stemmed plant and place them into a bowl. She sprinkled some white powder on top and began muddling everything together. Once the mixture looked the way she wanted it to, she poured the contents into a cup with some hot water and brought it to her current dying patient. Once in his room, she gently tried to wake him up.

"Hello." Mikey heard a voice from somewhere. It sounded so far away. It was soft and gentle, but he had no idea where it was coming from. He couldn't open his eyes to find out. They felt heavy, as did his entire body. Not only did it feel heavy, but there was a shooting pain in his arm and leg. He just wanted to go back to sleep, make the pain stop. "Please, you must open your eyes." he heard. He didn't want to. He was so tired. "Wake up." the voice coaxed. He couldn't ignore how desperate the person sounded. With a lot of effort, he managed to force his eyes open. His eyes, glazed over, locked onto Avery and she sucked in a sharp breath. She was not expecting to see such bright colored eyes on him. It only took a second for her to compose herself. "Hello." she breathed a sigh of relief.

He wanted to respond, but his mouth and throat were completely dried out and he could only manage dry, heaving coughs.

"You do not have to speak. I just need you to listen." Avery continued in her calming and slightly hurried voice. "I need you to drink this." Avery held the wooden cup up so he could see it. "It will help you."

His throat wouldn't let him respond so he settled with a nod. He struggled to sit up on his own, but his injured arm prevented him from doing so. Avery wrapped a supportive arm around him to help him sit up. "Now, I must warn you, this tastes horrible, but you must drink all of it."

Mikey nodded again. She moved the small cup filled with liquid to his mouth and made sure he drank every last drop. His face contorted into a look of disgust as the bitter liquid touched his taste buds. "I warned you." she giggled. She gently laid him back down on the mat. "Now rest."

"Who... who are you?" Mikey rasped. The liquid he just drank added some moisture to his dry throat.

She locked eyes with him and her breath caught in her throat once more. She had to compose herself again before speaking. "I am Avery and I will be taking care of you." she told him. "Everything else will be explained soon, when you have healed."

He nodded, too tired to say anymore. His heavy lids basically closed on their own and he was soon asleep again. She covered him up with the quilt, collected her supplies and left to go check on her other patients. She shut the sliding door and leaned against it. She just kept thinking about his baby blue gaze. Even though it was unfocused she still thought they looked...

_Stunning_. She thought. Her heart suddenly aflutter.

Someone had walked by in that moment, staring at the dreamy look on Avery's face. She had golden yellow skin with pale orange eyes and sea green hair pulled back in a bun. A feather piercing hung from her pointed ear and she wore the same knee length robe as Nati. “Eso deska, Avery?” she asked.

Avery looked to the woman, snapping out of her thoughts. “Isi. Grahatai, Ayani.” she said with a smile.

The girl known as Ayani bowed her head and continued doing her work.

Just then, Dax came in from outside. "How is he?" he asked. "Is he going to make it?"

Avery nodded. "He will be fine. Just give it a little time."

Dax sighed in relief knowing that, despite what Kai wanted, a life had not ended. It was a small victory in his mind.

Avery was about to move past him when they heard a loud, cawing sound overhead. “Shaydas.” Avery immediately got queasy as she knew what the call of a shayda meant. It meant that Kai was paying them a visit. Nothing good ever came of a visit from Kai.


	7. Time For Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kuna, qutoshi avane= Hello, my darling wife  
> Io sotu avane= I am not your wife  
> Quani mea-te= What do you want  
> Masuna= Queen  
> Katu= King  
> Atofa, mir hunoi= Goodbye, my brother  
> Atofa, mir avane= Goodbye, my wife  
> Hunoi= brother

* * *

As the brother and sister expected, Kai slid open the door to the infirmary and sauntered in with a smug smile plastered on his face. "Dax, brother, how are you today?" Dax didn't respond, he kept his arms crossed and eyes narrowed at him. If there was one thing that Dax despised, it was when Kai called him brother. He absolutely hated the idea of that. Even though he knew it would be happening soon when Kai marries his sister. "No response for me? Very well." Kai walked by him, toward Avery. He snatched her by the hand, pulling her close. Avery instinctively tried to push him away. "Kuna, qutoshi avane."

"Io sotu avane." Avery murmured.

"Well, not yet, but you will be soon." he wrapped his other arm around her slim waist, pulling her even closer. "Soon you will be known as Masuna Avery. Does that not sound wonderful? Futir would be so proud of you for finding such a suitable mate." Kai laughed as he knew exactly what to say to upset them. Avery flinched at hearing that name and tears began to spill.

The scene unfolding was making Dax's blood boil. He stepped up and pulled his sister away from her harasser. "Quani mea-te, Kai?" Dax growled.

"Katu Kai." Kai corrected.

Dax had to bite his tongue to keep from saying anything that could get him or his sister into trouble. "Quani mea-te, Katu Kai?" he repeated through clenched teeth.

"I had just met with one of my guards and they told me that one of my lakras had returned with another person. He told me that he was wounded and there was no way he could have made it out alive."

"What does that have to do with me or my sister?" Dax asked, eyes growing darker.

"I wonder what happened to him. I wonder how he escaped."

"Perhaps he is much tougher than you thought. Perhaps he managed to escape by his own strength.”

Kai smirked. "Not likely. I believe that you helped him. I believe you left your post to help this newcomer escape." 

Dax's stance lightened. "I do not know what you mean." he had to tread lightly here. He couldn't let Kai know that the wounded person was here. There was no telling what someone as sadistic as Kai would do if he found out.

"Then why did you leave?" Kai inquired.

"When the lakra returned, he had immediately taken out one of your guards. So I left, lest I suffer the same fate."

Kai slowly began circling the brother and sister. Avery clutched onto Dax as he moved by her. She gasped and flinched away when Kai intentionally rubbed his tail against her leg. "I never took you for a coward." he said, in an attempt at baiting him.

Dax didn't fall for it. "I have a sister to take care of. I will not lose my life for your pleasure."

Kai simply didn't buy it, but for now, he would let it go. "Very well." he began to make his way out. "Atofa, mir hunoi. Atofa, mir avane."

Dax growled again when he said that. Kai chuckled and walked out the door.

The older brother sighed and turned to his sibling. He noticed that she was trembling. Without saying a word, Dax wrapped his arms protectively around her. "I am sorry." he whispered sorrowfully.

"It is not your fault." she gently pulled away and looked up at him. "I have to check on the rest of my patients." she calmly walked away.

* * *

Mikey's eyes fluttered open again. The blurriness had subsided and he was able to get a good look around the room. The room was a cream color with red wood paneling on the bottom half of the wall, he could see a couple of handles attached to one of the wood panels. Right above that was an unlit lantern with two medium sized openings flanking both sides. The sun from outside came through those openings and warmed his skin. Looking outside, he saw the sky turning a bright orange and pink hue. The sun was probably setting. 

He attempted to sit up, but he still felt tired and pretty sluggish. Moving around caused some lightheadedness as well. He decided that it was probably best to stay down. What the heck happened? And how did I get here? He tried to rummage through his foggy memory to figure out what was happening, when it suddenly hit him. Oh right, I got attacked and pushed through a portal. Some guy helped me, I pricked my hand on something and... that's all I remember. He sighed. I guess he brought me here. He looked over when he heard the door opening and his heart nearly skipped a beat at the sight of the woman standing in the doorway.

"Oh, you are awake." Avery said as she stepped into his room. Mikey got a really good look at her. Her white robe matched her snow white skin, and it brought out her amethyst colored eyes and dark blue hair. "How are you?" she asked as she knelt down next to him.

Mikey had to take a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart. "I'm okay, thanks."

She smiled gently at him. "That is good. I am happy to hear that."

"Just feel really tired and... lightheaded." Mikey rubbed his head. “My arm and leg hurt too.”

"The venom is still in your blood. It will take a while for it to fully leave your body. It takes time." she gently placed a hand on his shoulder, reassuring him.

“Venom?” Mikey asked, worriedly. 

“Yes, besol venom still runs through you. It entered through your hand.” Mikey lifted his hand to look at it and was startled to see that it was almost entirely black instead of green. “But do not worry, you were given the antidote. So, it is no longer spreading and slowly dying off. You will know when the venom has fully left your body when your hand returns to its normal color. There will be a few more treatments I have to give to you. It will help with recovery.” He nodded, relieved that he wasn't going to be dying anytime soon. “As for the pain, I can give you something for that.”

"Yes, please." he said with a wince.

Avery nodded and stood, but before she walked out, she asked. "Oh, and what is your name?"

"Michelangelo." he said with as much Mikey flourish as he could while lying down.

Avery giggled. "Well Michelangelo, I will return shortly." she quietly slid the door closed.

Mikey lied there quietly, taking in the sounds around him. Birds were singing and the sound of children laughing could be heard from outside the window. With the lack of traffic overhead and nearby subway trains rolling by, he knew he wasn't anywhere near his home in the city. By the looks of the only two people that he has spoken to, he isn't even on Earth anymore. Mikey sighed and shut his eyes for a second, trying to keep his nerves under wraps. There shouldn't be a problem. She's trying to help me, right? he questioned in his head. If she wanted to kill me, she wouldn't have taken the time to take care of me. And that other guy, he must've brought me here, so he can't be so bad either. He sighed again as his mind wandered to his brothers. I hope Don's okay and I hope he's getting help.

His eyes snapped open when he heard the door slide open again. It was Dax, the one who brought him here. He walked in and knelt down next to him. Dax just sat there, staring, not saying a word.

The silence and his staring was making Mikey feel really self conscious and awkward. His blood red eyes weren't making things better. "Um... hi." Mikey greeted nervously.

Dax eyes narrowed as he finally spoke. "Where did you come from, Michelangelo?"

Assuming that Dax meant what planet, Mikey answered. "I'm from Earth."

Dax hummed thoughtfully. "Earth? Can you explain what exactly happened?"

Mikey stared up at the ceiling as he began to retell the events that led to him being here. Dax listened intently just as Avery came back in holding a cup. "Dax, please, do not interrogate my patient." Avery stated, disapprovingly. She shooed her brother away and she took up her spot next to Mikey. "Sorry about him."

"It's okay. You guys kind of deserve an explanation." Mikey said.

"Well, he still could have waited until you were feeling better."

"I had to make sure of some things." Dax said from the corner of the room.

"We will discuss this later, hunoi." Avery said, giving him a warning look. "Right now, Michelangelo needs his rest."

As if on cue, Mikey yawned. Dax surrendered. "Very well Avery. I will leave." he stepped out. 

Avery turned back to her patient placing that warm and gentle smile back on her face. "I apologize for him. He can be quite overbearing."

Mikey smiled back. "Don't worry, I know the feeling."

"That is good to hear, so now I do not have to explain." Avery said. "Here, let me help you up." Avery went about helping Mikey sit up. Once he was in a sitting position she placed a ceramic cup in his hands. "This should help with the pain."

The cup was filled with a warm clear liquid. Mikey took a cautious sip. The taste was reminiscent of the tea that Master Splinter always made him drink whenever he got sick. Once he finished, he handed the cup back to Avery and she had him lie back down. "Now all you have to do is rest. Let your body fight off the rest of that poison."

"How long will that take?" Mikey asked curiously.

"It mostly depends on how strong the poison victim is and you seem to be fighting it off very well. I believe you will be on your feet soon enough."

Mikey nodded. "Thank you." he said gratefully before attempting to stifle a yawn.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, sending an involuntary shiver through him. Luckily for him, she didn't notice. "You are welcome." she stood and headed for the door. As soon as she was gone, he exhaled sharply, trying to forget how a simple touch could make him feel that way. He shut his eyes and went back to sleep.


	8. Leo, Raph and Don Meet Dax

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while.  
> Here's some more for you.
> 
> Words and phases:  
> toguta = doorway

* * *

Back on Earth, the remaining Hamato brothers waited on a rooftop where they had been staking out for the last few days. There hadn't been any sign of that portal showing up and the brothers were beginning to worry. Raphael and Leonardo both paced back and forth on the roof while Donatello kept an eye out. Donnie was worried too, but his brothers' constant pacing was starting to get to him. "Guys, could you sit down? You're stressing me out."

"I can't relax, Don. Our brother could be anywhere and we're just sitting around." Leo said, frustrated.

"I know that Leo, but right now we can't do much else but wait." Don explained. "By the looks of that creature that attacked us, there's no way that it came from Earth."

Raph growled at their lack of progress. "This is ridiculous." he was showing signs of frustration with each passing day. Don had a feeling that the patience he showed would soon dwindle as time went on.

"I know." Don stated simply, frowning. Leo sighed and went to sit with his purple banded brother.

Since they've been mostly staking out one area and not doing much else, Leo has had time to think. Think about what Donnie said to him a few days ago and the disappointing look Raph gave him. Was he really that awful to his youngest brother that he wanted to get away? He didn't want to believe it, but he had to admit that there was some truth to it. There was one thing he had to know. "Hey Don," Donnie looked up at his brother, giving him some of his attention. "When you said Mikey wanted to get out because of me... can you tell me why?" he asked, nervously awaiting the answer.

Donnie remained silent for a while wondering if he should say anything. After all, it should be Mikey that's voicing his concerns to the eldest. However, Mikey wasn't here and as much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't sure if they would see him again. "He told me that your constant berating made him feel like he was a burden to us. So he just wanted to get away from your negativity."

"Way to go, Fearless." Raph stated while slow clapping. "Our brother is missing because you scared him off."

Leo stared at the ground below in defeat. It really was his fault. Mikey was struggling and he just made things worse. He swore to himself, in that moment, that he would make this right. He just hoped that he would be able to.

As if someone was answering him, there was a bright flash of light and the brothers watched as the same green portal formed on the wall.

"There it is!" Don shouted before heading down to the alleyway. His brothers followed close behind.

They just stared at it for a few moments before Raph finally spoke up. "What are we waiting for? Let's go." he made his way toward the swirling green light.

"Wait Raph." Don pulled him back as he remembered that this portal opened to let something out. Right on cue, that same creature that attacked Mikey came through the portal. Raph and Leo froze for a second at the massive four legged beast that came out. Raph instinctively reached for his weapons, but Don gently put a hand over his, stopping him. He pointed toward the portal telling him to go on through while the wild beast was sniffing around the new area it was in. Quickly and silently as possible Leo and Raph hopped through. Apparently, it wasn't quiet enough because the beast suddenly turned his head toward the remaining turtle. It roared and started to make its way toward him. Don quickly made his way through the portal with the beast on his tail.

* * *

On Verterra, in the same stretch of forest, Dax stood with his arms crossed as he watched Kai walk away. He really wished that he could get his hands on him, but that will never happen. Especially now, since he was surrounded by even more of Kai's men then last time. Kai didn't trust him during their last encounter so Kai repaid him by bringing in more people to make sure he doesn't leave his post. But in all honesty, Dax thought that the amount of guards brought in to watch him was a bit... excessive. About eight on his right and another eight on his left. All of them surrounding him and just waiting for any excuse to run him through with their spears. Another two archers up in the trees right above him, aiming arrows his way. It was all very unnecessary. Dax could probably take the foot guards on by himself if he wanted, but the archers could pose a problem while fighting. And not to mention he could be punished for fighting with them.

There was one other thing that caught his attention. One of the portals that the lakra had gone through hadn't disappeared yet. That wasn't good. That meant that someone on the other side was still in the vicinity of the portal, like what happened with Michelangelo a few days ago. Dax hoped it was just the lakra still lurking around near it.

Dax stood up straighter, getting ready for what was possibly going to pay them a visit... or at least he tried to.

"Do not move." one of Kai's soldiers ordered, pressing his spear up against his neck. The others also got ready to strike him down if needed.

"I do not think you should be worrying about what I am doing. You, instead, should worry about why the toguta has not closed yet."

The one pointing the spear turned his attention toward the portal, noticing what Dax already saw. He began giving out orders to the men around him. All of them now preparing for a possible threat.

Three unfamiliar looking figures passed through, followed by the hungry lakra. "Not again." Dax sighed, backing away from the instant chaos the lakra brought. Kai's guards suddenly had other matters to attend to. Since Dax was now left unguarded, he slowly maneuvered around the fighting. Slipping behind the safety of a tree as he began assessing the situation.

About three of the armed guards were busy with the lakra, trying to wrap chains around its neck and they were succeeding. The remaining ones immediately started a fight with the three newcomers. They seemed to be holding up really well as they easily took out Kai's guards one by one. Dax had to be smart about this. He had to find a way to help the three figures without getting the attention of the lakra and, if possible, the guards

Dax observed, impressed by what he was seeing. He had never seen a fighting style quite like theirs. Dax thought he was the best when it came to combat, but these guys were leagues above him. The wild lakra swatted away one of the guards with its paws and the body slammed into the tree that Dax was hiding behind. The other two managed to chain the lakra to a different tree close to them. Once they were satisfied with how secure it was, they went on to join the others in the fight against the three newcomers.

The archers that were hiding in the trees began firing arrows at the new people. Which were quickly cut down by the one with swords or caught out of mid air by the other two. The arrows only proved as a minor distraction as they continued fighting without fail. _I almost forgot about the archers._ Dax thought. _I can at least help with that._ Dax swiftly moved around the fighting and climbed up one of the trees where one of the archers were. With a swift punch to the face, the archer fell out of the tree, unconscious. He hopped from one tree branch to another as the newcomers finished up the last of the guards on the ground. Dax knocked out the last archer and the unfamiliar people watched as the archer fell out of the tree and landed in front of them.

Dax decided to stay put in the tree, staying hidden in the canopy of leaves. He wanted to see what these newcomers would do next.

"We know there's someone else up there. Come down now." the one in blue ordered with his swords still drawn. They were looking up in his general direction, but they probably couldn't see him through the leaves.

There was no use hiding if they knew he was there. Dax hopped down from the tree and raised his hands. The three stared at him warily. Dax instantly noticed the similarities between them and Michelangelo now that he was getting a good look at them. "Hello," he greeted. "I mean you no harm."

"Who are you?" Leo asked, remaining in a defensive stance.

Dax remained where he was as he studied them. _They look like Michelangelo. Perhaps they are family._ "I am Dax. Who are you?"

The one in blue dropped his defenses just a bit. "Leonardo and these are my brothers, Raphael and Donatello."

Dax hummed thoughtfully, but still kept his hands up as a sign of peace. He didn't want to make any rush decisions, so he decided not to bring up Michelangelo just in case these were not the brothers that he referred to. "Why are you here?"

"We're looking for someone." Donnie said. "Our brother."

Dax perked up a little. "Oh? And what might his name be." he wanted to hear them say it, just in case.

The three exchanged glances at one another before Leo spoke up again. "Michelangelo."

Dax finally dropped his hands back at his sides. "So... you do know him?"

That simple question caught their attention. Dax smiled as a look of relief washed over their faces.

"He's here?" Raph asked.

"Yes," Dax said with a nod. "I just wanted to make sure that you weren't here for a completely different reason. I have to keep the people of my home safe above all else."

Leo admired that, but then he remembered that Don said Mikey was wounded. "Is he okay?"

Dax nodded again. "Yes, his wounds are healing well." he turned away from them. "Come, I will take you to him." he began walking away. The brothers put away their weapons and followed.

"Hey, what about...?" Don looked back to the chained lakra, still snapping and snarling in an enraged state.

Dax sighed sadly. "Do not worry, either one of the guards that you disposed of will free him when they wake up, or I will come back later to free him." he continued walking. "Now, let us go."

The brothers followed the white skinned man. After a while of silence, Don's curious side started to show. "Um... Dax, can I ask where we are?"

Dax deftly navigated through the thick brush of the forest and hopped over a small stream. "You are on the planet, Verterra."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty short chapter, but enjoy anyway.


	9. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunai- sister  
> Qui'o lea= Who is this  
> Katou son hunoiso Michelangelo= They are Michelangelo's brothers  
> Transport keys= Tentaiki

* * *

The brothers and Dax continued to move through the thick forest. Leo followed the snow white skinned man, but didn't drop his guard. He was prepared to fight at a moments notice. He didn't say anything, just stared at Dax's back. "Do not worry, we are almost there. You can relax." Dax said suddenly as if sensing how tense Leo was. Leo's eyes widened a bit and he looked to his brothers. They seemed to have the same expression as him.

Dax stepped to the side, revealing the bustling village. The four of them stepped out of the forest, the tall grass shortening with some patches of dirt. The guys were pretty amazed at what they were seeing. The people varied in shape, size and color. There were people with red skin, yellow skin, some with tails, some with scales and some with wings. Everyone looked different.

"Welcome to Ithri." Dax gestured to the sprawling, bustling village. "My home."

Once they got a good look around, they went right back to their main focus. Leo spoke up "This place is great and all, but..."

Raph immediately interrupted, his patience wearing thin. "Just tell us where our brother is!"

"Of course, come with me." Dax said calmly and began walking toward the medical pavilion in the center of the village. He slid the door open and led them inside. Avery stepped out of one of her patient's rooms at that moment. "Hunai." Dax greeted the young woman.

"Qui'o lea?" Avery asked, eyeing the brothers.

"Katou son hunoiso Michelangelo." he answered.

Avery gave them a soft smile. "Oh, well, I see the resemblance to him."

"Our brother is okay, right?" Donnie stepped forward. "The last time I saw him, he was severely injured." Donnie explained as he remembered the condition his younger brother was in.

Avery simply nodded. "He is alright. He is being fed as we speak. He has quite the appetite" The brothers breathed a sigh of relief and Avery smiled. "Come, I will take you to him." Avery led them to the end of the long hallway where several wounded people were sitting and eating.

There, in the middle of one of the tables at the edge of the room was their younger brother. Arm and leg wrapped in bandages and eating what looked to be some meat on a skewer. "Mikey!!" the older brothers shouted, running to him.

Mikey barely had time to put his food down before his brothers crowded around him, embracing him.

"Hey guys. You found me." Mikey winced. "Also... ow."

The brothers quickly pulled away from him. "Sorry bro, we're just glad that you're okay." Leo said. "We've been worried sick."

Mikey locked eyes with the eldest. "Right, well, I'm fine." he turned his attention back to the food in front of him. He took another bite of the skewered meat.

Don began to look him over.

"Sorry."

"Don't be." Raph said quickly. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

Mikey looked up at Raph then locked eyes with Leo again. There was that feeling again. That feeling of self loathing that he felt whenever Leo was around. He wished that he didn't feel bad about what happened, but he did. "Sure," Mikey stated solemnly. "Anyway, how did you guys find me?" he tried to change the subject.

Leo visibly slumped when Mikey looked away from him. "Don took us to the spot where you were attacked and we staked it out."

"Then when we got here, Dax brought us to you." Don continued as Dax and Avery walked up to them.

Leo stood and bowed to them. "Thank you for saving my brother."

"It was no trouble. It is my job after all."

"Still, thank you."

Avery nodded. "So, are the three of you hungry? I can have a meal prepared for you."

"That would be great." Leo said as he took a seat on the cushioned floor.

Avery stepped away, heading to a room in the back. Dax took a seat across from the brothers and began studying them. Mikey, who was sort of used to this, continued eating. The other three were feeling pretty awkward as his blood red eyes stared them down.

Raph was the first to speak up. "What are you staring at?" he said in his normal annoyed tone.

Donnie elbowed him. "Raph!"

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

Dax smirked. "It is alright. I was just trying to get a read on you, that is all." he explained. "I would like to get to know you. Since you will be staying here. As I understand, you are from Earth, correct?" The four brothers nodded. Dax smiled sadly. "It must be rough living there for you. Considering what you look like."

The brothers averted their gazes. Mikey had finished eating by that point and pushed the wooden dish away.

"Wait, have you been to Earth?" Don asked.

Dax nodded. "Yes, a few times actually." he explained. "We merely went there to study the human species, to see if we could possibly make trades with them like we do with other places. We found out quickly that humans are not too keen on working together with people that don't look like them. There were a few exceptions where we met someone that would not judge us based on what we look like and we were able to learn some new skills that we use now." Dax chuckled. "But overall if they cannot treat each other with respect. Then they surely will not treat me or my people with respect."

"It's not the best place for us, but it's still home." Leo said almost sadly.

"I understand." Dax said with a nod. "Although, it may be difficult for you to get back home at the moment."

The brothers looked up at Dax curiously. "Why's that?" Raph was the first to voice their concern.

"We are having a small problem of our own. Our Katu, or king as you would say on Earth, has been tormenting us. He stripped us of our only means of travel and hordes them all for himself, so he can terrorize people from other planets."

"Is that why I was attacked?" Mikey asked, grasping onto his injured shoulder.

"Yes, Kai has us send wild lakras to whichever random planet he feels like, using the tentaiki."

"The what?" Raph asked, confused.

"Tentaiki. They are these gems that open up the doorway that brought you here." Dax explained. "The lakras are normally peaceful and they work with us, but unfortunately when put under high amounts of stress, or if they are too hungry, or if they are in too much pain that can change them. Kai has destroyed any semblance of decency within them. He keeps them locked up, he starves them and beats them so badly that their primal, survival instincts take hold. Then he frees them and lets them kill whomever gets in its way."

Mikey sat there with a knot twisting in his stomach. He may have gotten hurt by one of these beasts, but after hearing why they were attacking, his love of animals took over. "That's why they looked so sick?" Mikey asked sadly.

"I am afraid so, Michelangelo." Dax answered. "He used to just let them loose here in the village and we lost many people as of late. I suppose he got bored of tormenting his own people and moved onto other planets."

"That's horrible." Don cringed.

"Why don't you do something?" Leo asked.

Dax locked eyes with the leader and sighed. "We have tried that. As a result, we have lost many vaos, or guardians." he corrected himself. "I am one of two remaining. And I wish that I could do something, but recent circumstances have made it so that I, personally, cannot. Kai has many followers. He could have us all killed if he wanted. No one wants to fight back." he paused as he thought for a second. "No one can fight back."

Avery and Nati came out of the back room, both holding wooden dishes with the same skewered meat that Mikey was eating. Avery placed one in front of Leo and another in front of Raph while Nati placed the last one in front of Don and a cup in front of Dax. Both ladies took a seat at the table with them. "What if we helped you with this... Kai?" Don offered.

"I cannot ask you to do something like this. This is not your fight." Dax explained.

Both of the women turned away which the guys immediately noticed. "But from what you're telling us, he's keeping us from going home." Leo said. "That currently makes him our problem too." the younger brothers nodded their heads in agreement.

Dax smiled. "This is true."

"And besides, you saved our brother's life. It's the least we can do." Raph said, giving his little brother a noogie.

"Gah, Raphie, quit it." Mikey laughed.

"Well, if we're going to help you, we need to know everything. What are we up against? What are those circumstances that make it impossible for you to fight back?" Leo asked.

Dax's shoulders slumped. He seemed distraught and helpless just thinking about it. He looked to Avery before he spoke. "If I so much as think about fighting back then the life of my sister is at risk."

"Why's that?" Raph asked.

Avery inhaled deeply. "I am to become his wife."

"What!?" Mikey said louder than he expected. People around them turned to look at what was happening. Embarrassed, Mikey lowered his voice. "You're going to marry him."

"I do not wish to, but I do not have a choice." Avery explained. "He threatened to kill my brother if I didn't. The same way he killed our father. I could not let that happen. Dax is the only family I have left."

"He killed your father too?" Don asked.

"Yes, recently. He had him executed right in front of me when an effort to overthrow him went horribly wrong." Dax shut his eyes as he was forced to remember the tragic events that led to their current predicament. "He said he had to teach us a lesson in respect. He said that if I were to attempt something like this again then he would end my sister." his grip tightened around the cup he was holding in his hands, his muscles tensed and his blood red eyes darkened.

"I thought he wanted to marry her." Raph said.

"He does, but not for any normal reason. He just wants to keep her as a possession to be used until he has had enough. She will be used to make sure I do not try anything. It is all about control for him."

"So, he's forcing you to marry him,” Leo looked pointedly at Avery. “and if you don't then he has your brother killed." he then looked at Dax. "If you try to overthrow him, then he has your sister killed."

"He's blackmailing the both of you?" Don asked.

"Yes. And this union is not even guaranteed to keep anyone alive. He will probably still kill us just because he feels like it." Dax answered. "He does not care who he hurts as long as he hurts them."

"How'd someone like this end up becoming a king?" Mikey asked.

"He was not originally our king. His younger brother was chosen instead. For a while, everything was amazing. People were happy, they did not feel threatened, they did not fear for their lives and I was actually proud to serve him as his guardian." Dax explained. "My father had been a vao for the royal family for a long time, so Avery and I had grown up with him. He was one of our closest friends."

"What happened to him?" Leo asked.

Avery shrugged. "Well, Kai did not like that his younger brother was chosen as the next heir, so...."

"...Kai killed him?" Raph finished, getting the picture.

Avery nodded sadly. "And he made sure that the entire village knew of his feat, bragging about how he had killed his own brother."

There was a short pause at the table as everyone absorbed the information they had just received. The guys knew that if they were going to help out, they were going to need to prepare quite a bit.

"So," Mikey turned his attention to Dax. "You're one of the two guardians left here?"

There was a long pause before Dax nodded. "Yes, there is one other guardian. He actually fought along side my father and I when we went to try and overthrow Kai. That is until... he chose to become his loyal servant. He betrayed us." Dax growled through gritted teeth. Avery looked to her brother's darkened demeanor. She looked like she wanted to say something, but instead settled for placing a hand on his shoulder. “All of those people, all of the vao... my father were all killed because of his betrayal. He can not be trusted.”

"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us." Raph said, slamming his fist into his open hand.

"Yeah, seems like it." Leo agreed.

Avery had to stop them while they were ahead. "I do appreciate what you are doing, but your brother still needs to heal."

Mikey looked at his bandaged arm and leg. "Avery's right, Mikey. If we're going to take this guy down we need you at full strength." Don said.

"Until then, please feel free to stay here as long as you need to. We have guest rooms on the upper floors that you can stay in." Avery offered.

"And I can teach you everything you need to know in order to get by around here." Dax offered.

"Thank you again." Leo said, graciously.

"You are welcome. Now, please eat."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, Kai's the worst, isn't he? He can't get any worse, right? Right?  
> ...I can probably make him worse.  
> 


	10. King's Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toguma, filese= Everyone, calm down
> 
> Hata, mir keiko= Hush, my son
> 
> Hunoi= brother

* * *

The calming atmosphere soon ended when the calls of the shaydas were heard once again. The call was very similar to the crows back on Earth. Everyone, except the guys, instantly began to panic. The panicking only got worse when the shaydas seemed to stick around above them instead of just flying overhead like usual. Dax stood and spoke to those around him in his native tongue. "Toguma, filese." he ordered in an authoritative tone.

The panic died down a little to hushed, panicked whispers. One injured man with pale blue skin and bandages wrapped around his head held his child close. "Hata, mir keiko." he whispered to the crying child.

"What's going on?" Leo asked.

Avery, who was visibly trembling looked to the turtles. Fear was very evident in her eyes. "Kai is coming." she answered simply.

Right on cue, Kai entered the large room with guards flanking both sides of him. All of the natives bowed to him with their faces to the floor. The guys stood with Dax. "Hunoi!" Kai happily greeted Dax, knowing it would get under his skin. He waltzed over to him and brought him into a hug, which Dax didn't return. "I am so glad you are okay."

Dax pushed him away. "I have told you before. You are no brother of mine."

Kai chuckled. "And I have told you before." he walked by Dax to Avery who was still bowing. "You will be soon." he looked down at his future bride. "A woman of your status should not have her face to the floor." she didn't move, refusing to look up at the cold hearted man. Kai sneered and roughly pulled Avery up to her feet by the wrist. Avery winced as her arm was twisted behind her back.

"No!" she squealed as he pulled her back against his chest.

"Get your hands off her." Dax snarled getting ready to attack only to be stopped by Kai's guards pointing their spears at him.

"Now, now Dax." Kai teased. "You would not want anything to happen to your precious sister, would you?" he used his free hand and gripped her face, forcing her to look at her brother. "And what about you over here?" he forced her to look at the turtle brothers. "Could you be the reason why Dax left his post, yet again?" neither one of them said anything. They were too busy seething at the scene unfolding before them.

"Please, stop." she pleaded, her voice was barely audible.

Kai gave a sick smile. "I like it when you beg. Do it again."

Tears welled up in her eyes and in that moment she locked eyes with Michelangelo, seeking any sort of refuge from this embarrassment. "Please." she said to Mikey, but, of course, Kai thought he was getting what he wanted.

"Good girl." Kai looked to the guys. "She is wonderful, is she not? Futir would be so proud of you for being so obedient." he said as his tail wrapped around her leg and slowly slid up underneath the skirt of her robe. She tried to flinch away, but to no avail. Kai had a firm grip on her.

Dax growled as he was still being held back by Kai's men. He could take these guys out on his own, but he knew that as soon as he made a move Kai would more than likely kill her on the spot. The position he had her in, one swift movement and he could just snap her neck. Kai knew exactly what he was doing. He would have to get her away from him before any fighting could be done. "Let her go!"

Kai chuckled. "I am afraid you will have to make me." he stuck his tongue out and ran it along the side of her face.

Mikey had seen enough and suddenly snapped. "Allow me!" Kai was suddenly blindsided by a kick to his side. Mikey grabbed hold of Avery's arm, before Kai could drag her to the floor with him.

As soon as Avery was freed, Dax took the opportunity to take the guards down. Don, Raph, and Leo ran in to help him. The panicked people in the room moved out of the way as bodies of the guards were knocked down. Kai looked up at his assailant, anger evident in his golden eyes. "You dare strike me, you filthy..." Kai made to approach Mikey, as he stood protectively in front of Avery. He was stopped, however, when Dax stood in front of him, eyes ablaze with barely controlled fury.

Kai looked down and noticed one of his guard's spears in his hand. He looked around to see that just about all of his guards were knocked out. Only two of them were being held down by Don and Leo while Raph finshed off the last one with a kick to the face. An amused smirk suddenly spread across his face. "Very well, I know when I have been beaten. I will take my leave." he began to make his way toward the exit. He whispered one last thing to Dax before leaving. "I wonder what Futir would think of you acting in such a way towards a Katu?"

"He would be quite proud of me and you know that." Dax snarled through clenched teeth. "Now, keep my father's name off your tongue."

Kai stood eye to eye with him, unwavering. He knew that Dax wasn't going to do anything. "I will say whatever I please." he looked around him to Mikey, who was still standing protectively in front of Avery. He made eye contact with her, making her cower even more. "And I will take whoever I please." Mikey responded by hiding her behind his shell and glaring daggers toward the king. "Remember that, brother." Kai gave one last devilish smirk before snapping his fingers. Don and Leo released the conscious guards and they went about picking up their unconscious allies and following their king out the door.

As soon as they were gone, Avery left the safe spot behind Mikey to run to her brother. They embraced as Avery cried. Dax looked up at the brothers as they approached. "Thank you." he said simply to Mikey.

Mikey rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "No problem."

"Man, that guy is a real scumbag." Raph announced.

"He is. Now, you have witnessed first hand the kind of person he is."

"Yeah and he's even worse in person." Don said as he watched everyone sit back up from their bowing positions, trying to feel some sense of normalcy after what happened.

Dax nodded in agreement. "But after your interference, Kai will surely come for you as well." he reluctantly let go of Avery. "So as much as I appreciate your assistance, I must also apologize to you for making an enemy." he graciously bowed to them.

"Trust me, you don't have to apologize for this." Mikey said.

"He's not the first psycho we've met." Raph added in.

Leo placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Besides, we told you already that he's not just your problem right now. He's our problem too."

"Thank you, my friends." Dax said. "You all should get some rest. I am sure you are all exhausted."

"Some rest, sounds great." Mikey visibly winced as the adrenaline started to wear off.

Avery looked down at his leg, noticing the big, red blotch staining the bandages. "Michelangelo, you re-opened the wound on your leg."

"Oh," he looked down too. "I didn't even notice."

"Come with me." she said sharply. Everyone noticed her change in tone.

Mikey followed without question, back to his room. Dax sighed then looked to Nati. "Nati, can you take our guests to their temporary rooms please."

Nati nodded and motioned for the remaining brothers to follow.

* * *

Avery led a limping Mikey back into his room and had him sit. She quickly un wrapped the bandages from around his leg, revealing the gaping bleeding wound. His attack on Kai had torn the stitching. Avery quickly and quietly got everything she needed to close it up again.

Mikey silently watched as she worked. She was much different than before. She was stiff and had a frown permanently plastered on her face. Mikey definitely wasn't used to this. "Avery," he started softly. "are you okay?"

She flinched slightly at the question. She sighed before saying. "No, I am not. I am embarrassed by what happened, I am disgusted and feel violated. But I am also afraid for you and your brothers."

"You don't have to be afraid for us, Avery. We've been through much worse. Kai doesn't seem that bad in comparison to what we've already dealt with." Mikey slightly boasted. "And it's understandable to feel embarrassed and violated. What he did to you was not cool."

Avery nodded in agreement as she finished stitching the wound closed.

"You don't have to worry about him. We're going to help you make things right."

Avery began to re wrap his leg in clean bandages. "Do not underestimate him, Michelangelo. Even if you are a fighter, Kai has had many great fighters killed and I fear that you and your brothers may be next." she finished with the bandages and set everything aside.

"It's alright, we'll be fine. Trust me."

Avery averted her gaze and sighed. "I suppose I have to, but it will not stop me from worrying."

He placed comforting hands on her shoulders. "Everything will be okay, I promise."

They locked eyes with each other. His determined gaze making Avery shiver and blush slightly. She gulped and nodded her head. "And um, thank you for saving me. You did not have to do that."

"I know, but I wanted to." Mikey responded with a wink.

Mikey looked down and noticed something. Avery's wrist was beginning to bruise. The same wrist that Kai had grabbed onto. Avery followed his gaze and immediately tried to hide the mark by pulling her sleeve down. Mikey, without really thinking, stopped her. He gently took her wrist in his hand and looked it over. He felt slight anger surge within him, he was angry that she had to deal with such abuse, he was angry for her. He had no idea why, he barely knew her, but he did.

Their small moment was interrupted by Leo, clearing his throat at the door.

Startled, they both separated and looked to him. "Hey Leo." Mikey greeted.

"Hey, do you think we can talk for a second?" he spoke to the youngest.

"Uh, sure."

"I will take my leave then." Avery collected the used, bloodied items and walked out. She shut the door behind her, leaving the two brothers alone.

There was an awkward silence for a bit before Mikey spoke up. "Well, what's up bro?" he asked.

Leo sighed and knelt down next to him. "Mikey, I..." he paused to gain the courage to say what he needed to say. "I'm so sorry." Mikey was shocked to hear this. He thought he was going to get a verbal tongue lashing about how he messed up. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have been so harsh with you. I was so wrapped up in my own feelings that I completely disregarded how any of you might be feeling."

"Leo..."

The eldest brother continued. "I mean, I'm the leader, I should be looking out for you, not tearing you down every chance I get."

"Leo, I..."

"Just know that I never wanted you to feel like you had to leave or get away from me. I just wanted..."

"LEO!" Mikey finally raised his voice to get his attention. "I forgive you."

"You do?"

"Of course, you're my brother and I get what you were going through."

"I just... didn't want you to hate me." he looked down at his hands.

"I don't hate you. I was upset at how you treated me, sure. But I don't hate you. I could never hate you." Mikey explained. "Yeah, I wanted to get away, but that's only because I thought I was becoming an unnecessary burden to you. You already had to deal with a lot when Splinter passed and I guess I didn't want to make it any worse for you." he paused. "That and the silence in the lair was getting really... awkward. It was honestly driving a bit crazy."

Leo thought for awhile about what Mikey said before nodding. "I'm sorry." Leo apologized again.

Mikey rolled his eyes. "Stop apologizing, alright. I forgave you remember." he chuckled lightly.

Leo looked up and smiled, hearing the youngest brother laugh again was a welcome change. "So we're okay?" he asked, just to clarify.

"We're okay." Mikey answered. "Now, if you'll excuse me I'm gonna rest my leg." he laid back on the mat. "You should get some rest too. You look like you haven't slept in a long time."

Leo unconsciously rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, we were staking out the place where you got attacked for a few days."

"And you didn't sleep?"

"Barely."

"Well, now's your chance."

Leo stood up and headed for the door. "I'm glad you're okay, Mikey." he said before shutting the door behind him.

Mikey moved his good arm under his head as he stared at the ceiling. Fixing things with his brother really helped put his mind at ease and he was soon asleep.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, remember when I said I could probably make Kai worse? Well... I did. And I could probably still make him even worse.


	11. The Traitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tacura= Doctor/ Healer  
> Ven fafo, okulaais= Come out, cowards

* * *

With everything that happened the day before, the guys managed to sleep all the way to the next morning. They all got up and met with Avery in the room where everyone was already eating.

"Good morning." Avery greeted. "I hope you slept well and you were comfortable." despite the smile on her face they could tell that it wasn't genuine after what happened yesterday. Not that anyone could blame her.

"Yes, we were." Leo answered. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"It is no trouble at all. You are my guests and you will be treated as such. Breakfast has been prepared."

The brothers all sat down at a table while Avery headed towards the room in the back. She reappeared moments later, holding bowls and a wooden cup. Nati followed, holding onto a few bowls of her own. Nati placed a bowl in front of Don and Raph then sat down next to Don, while Avery placed one in front Leo and the cup in front of Mikey.

Mikey responded with a groan as he knew what it was. "Not this again."

"Yes, this again." Avery put on a very motherly tone. "We still need to remove the rest of the poison from your body."

"But it's so gross."

"I know. This is the last one. You will not have to take it anymore after this."

"I'm sorry, what? Poison?" Leo asked, confused and slightly scared.

"Yes, according to my brother, he was poisoned almost immediately after arriving here. He was given the antidote which stops the spread, but it still remains in his body. It takes time to completely remove all the poison from the blood and this remedy helps the process along.” Avery explained. “When his hand turns back to normal that is when I will know that he is fully healthy. Straining yourself before that can cause lightheadedness, sluggishness and fainting spells.”

Mikey looked down at his hand. His palm was still black, his brothers noticed it too. With a sigh, he quickly chugged the contents of the cup and his face immediately contorted to that of disgust. “Blech, it's so bad.”

“You never liked taking medicine.” Don said with a chuckle.

“Thank you, Michelangelo.” Avery said. She moved the wooden cup away and placed the bowl in front of him. She then sat down with them with another bowl filled with the same food.

The guys looked at the contents of the wooden bowl. It didn't look appetizing. It looked like a bowl of purple, lumpy soup, but it smelled sweet. "What is this stuff?" Raph asked.

"Yudan berries, it is a delicacy here." she picked up her bowl and drank from it.

Mikey was the first to try it. He figured if it smelled good then it probably tasted good too. What he ate yesterday wasn't bad either, so why would they suddenly feed him something inedible. And anything would've tasted better than that medicine he just took. His reasoning was right and he nodded his approval to his brothers. They began eating as well. The warm, sweet juice from the berries gave them a nice morning pick me up. Still hungry, the guys asked for more. Avery smiled. She and Nati collected everyone's bowls to bring to the back.

“So, little brother, how are you doing today?” Don asked.

“I'm okay. I mean, don't expect me to do anything physical right now, but I can walk around on my own, at least.” Mikey said.

The ladies returned with their second helping, placing them in front of the guys. “If you need anything, just call for me.” Avery said. “I have to take care of my other patients.”

“Thanks, we'll be okay.” Mikey said with a grin.

Avery smiled back, genuinely this time and went about her business with Nati in tow.

Raph chuckled when Avery was out of ear shot. “What's so funny?” Leo asked.

“What's funny is that our little brother here has developed a little crush while we were separated.” Raph noted.

The sudden statement shocked Mikey causing him to choke temporarily on his food. “What?”

With that reaction, Raph knew he was right. “Come on, Mikey. The way you two were looking at each other and smiling like idiots. The way you jumped in to save her yesterday. Don't think I didn't notice.”

Mikey avoided looking at his brothers and focused on eating as Raph playfully nudged Mikey's arm. Mikey continued to avoid him. Leo shook his head and looked to Don, who wasn't really paying any attention. Instead, he was looking over in Nati's general direction. "Don?"

"Hm?" he snapped out of it and looked to his brother.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," he looked back over to Nati. "Just curious about that girl, Nati. Hey Mikey, what do you know about her?"

Mikey shrugged, happy that some of the attention was off of him. "I don't really know. She did come into my room a couple times to change my bandages, but when I tried talking to her, she never said a word back."

Don turned away from her, still curious and continued eating.

Dax arrived as the guys finished their second serving of yudan berries. Instead of wearing his chaltiga like he would normally, he wore a shorter black vest with his dark colored pants. He had his bladed gauntlets sheathed on both his legs. The vest was open revealing all of his scars from battle, including the massive scar across his chest. "You are awake. Would you like to join me on an excursion into the forest. I can teach you some things about this world. You might be here a while, after all."

"I'm in." Raph offered.

"I'll go too." Leo said then looked to his healthy younger brother.

Don looked to him. "I'll stick around. See what I can learn while I'm here."

Leo nodded.

They all stood up and headed for the exit. The village was bustling as usual, kids were running around playing while the adults went about their work. They looked up as shadows passed over them. A few people with wings flew overhead, landing gently by a few homes further back. It definitely felt odd being out during the day since they spent most of their lives hiding in darkness, but it was something that they could easily get used to.

Dax stretched, soaking in the sun's warmth when a lakra appeared before him. The guys immediately stiffened at the sight, thinking that they'd have to fight again. But it didn't take them long to realize that this lakra was completely different than the ones they've seen. The full, bushy fur around his neck and the horn along his muzzle was a big giveaway.

Dax grinned widely as the large beast approached. "Hello my friend, it is good to see you." he gave the beast a good pat on the neck. Then turned to the brothers. "This is what a healthy lakra should look like." he informed them. "Very calm and very passive. Lakras are here to assist us, not hurt us."

The furry lakra licked the side of Dax's face happily and the guys became less tense. "I am glad you are here, Tam-Tam. I need you to watch my sister for me." Tam-Tam responded with a chuff and went to stand near Avery.

Avery rolled her eyes. "I do not need Tam-Tam to watch me."

"I would prefer it this way." he turned to his little sister. "With Michelangelo injured and since I am taking Raphael and Leonardo with me, I would hate to leave Donatello alone if Kai decides to show up again." he looked to the purple banded brother. "At least now you have some assistance."

"That is much appreciated." Don said.

Dax nodded his head. "Leonardo, Raphael come along now." he started toward the forest with the two brothers right behind him.

Avery shook her head before turning to the remaining brothers and Nati. "So what are we doing now?" Mikey asked.

"Well, Nati and I have a few former patients that we need to visit to make sure they are doing well." she headed toward one of the homes directly across from the infirmary. She knocked on the door frame and waited for an answer. Seconds later a maroon colored man slid the door open. He gave a warm, but tired smile. "Avery, I am glad you are here." he spoke gently while letting them in. He wore a handwoven shawl over his shoulders and knee length shorts. His long silver locks were tied back in a low pony tail and his blue eyes seemed almost glazed over. He shut the door leaving, Tam-Tam to wait patiently outside.

"How is Moba, Jatari?"

"Much better, thanks to you."

"Where is he now? I would like to check on him."

"He is asleep in his room."

Avery and Nati headed toward the room with a closed door. "We will just be a moment." she told the brothers.

Jatari sighed and eyed the two brothers. "So, who might the two of you be?"

"I'm Donatello and this is Michelangelo."

"I do not think I have seen you around here before. What village are you from?"

"We're not actually from this planet. We're from Earth."

"Ah, so you are the newcomers. I had heard about your arrival."

“Yeah, we're gonna be here for a while from the looks of things.”

Mikey looked on a nearby wall and saw a long vest. The same one that Dax was wearing. "Hey, doesn't Dax wear that same thing?" he asked.

Jatari followed his line of sight. "Oh yes, my chaltiga."

That's when Don realized who he was and froze. "You're the other guardian. The one who betrayed Dax and the rest of your friends."

Jatari's jaw clenched as he heard those words. "I see you have been talking to Dax.” The man sighed before speaking again. “Yes, that is me. I am the one who betrayed my friends and my people to side with Kai. The one who is being shunned every day he walks outside, but you have to understand why I did what I did."

The brothers took a tentative, cautious step back. “Why?”

“My son. I could not let Kai hurt him. Kai had come to me the day before we were to storm the palace and he warned me of what would happen if we decided to fight. Told me that we stood no chance against him and if I died fighting, then who would take care of my son?” he shrugged, looking defeated. "One of the villagers could, but then what would stop Kai from attacking them and still hurting my son."

The brothers only eyed him warily. "How did Kai even know about your plan?" Don asked.

"I do not believe he knew of our plan at the time. He just suspected that eventually we would, so that was his way of making sure that we did not. I am sure he did the same thing to the others."

"And none of them backed down." Mikey said with his arms crossed.

"Yes, and you see the result of them fighting against him."

"Right, because you turned on them." Don added.

"You were not there!" Jatari snapped. "We were going to lose that fight, I could feel it. We were vastly outnumbered. If I continued fighting, I would have died along with them and so would my son. I did what I had to in order to protect him.”

Mikey stayed silent, still unsure. To him, Jatari's logic was way off.

Don asked. "Kai would really hurt a child?”

"Yes. He does not care who it is. He will hurt or kill anyone just because he feels like it. I once saw him feed an infant to a herd of savage cromols. It made me sick as I watched that happen. I can only imagine how the parents were feeling as they were forced to watch."

"Wow." Don was stunned. He had no idea what a cromol was, but the thought of feeding a newborn to any sort of wild animal was disturbing.

"I know. That is why I fear for my son's life. I know what Kai is capable of. I do not like what he does, so please do not think of me as someone like him, but..." he paused. "...I cannot fight back. The repercussions would be too great. I have to think of my son first."

"So how do we stop him?"

"You cannot. As I said, he has become too powerful and too influential. Before you get to him, you would have to go through his many guards."

"...And you?" Mikey asked. Jatari remained silent and looked down at the floor. "Well, there has to be some way." Mikey inquired.

Jatari shook his head. “There is not.”

“But--” Don started.

“I said there is not!!” Jatari snapped. He took a shuddering breath, trying to calm himself down. “I... am sorry. I understand if you feel the same way Dax and the rest of the village feels, but I did what I had to.”

Avery and Nati stepped out of the room with a small child following close behind. He had maroon colored skin and blue eyes like his father. His black and maroon wings protruded from his back and were almost as tall as he was. Wearing black pants and a black sleeveless tunic, he nervously held onto the skirt of Avery's robe. He couldn't have been older than ten. Jatari smiled gently at his son. “Hello Moba, you are feeling better, I assume?”

Moba gave his father a toothy grin and nodded. “Tacura Avery and Tacura Nati made me all better.”

Jatari ruffled his son's honey blond hair before looking to Avery. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” she turned to the others and led them out.

Once they were out and far enough away, Avery asked. “What happened in there? I heard Jatari yell.”

“We asked him if there was any way to fight against Kai and he didn't take too kindly to that.” Don said.

Avery sighed. “I see. Please do not think poorly of Jatari. I believe that when the true king was killed, he started to give up hope and when the time came for them to fight, he just prioritized the life of his child. He fears that something may happen to him. And if he does any sort of searching into what they can do to stop him, he fears that Kai will find out about it and take his son away.

“But Dax isn't letting Kai use him even though your life is on the line.” Mikey said.

“Jatari cannot risk being as rebellious as Dax because Kai has no use for a child, there would be no reason to keep him alive. He may still kill me one day, but as a woman I am useful to him. Moba is not. Jatari made his choice.”

“And it cost you and everyone else in this village.”

Avery sighed. “Yes, I know. I have lost my father and my freedom because of what happened, but at the same time, I sympathize with Jatari. I do not know what I would do if I was faced with the same situation.”

“...We understand.” Mikey said, hesitantly.

“Good, now let us go to the next home.” she nodded appreciatively and began walking to the next home with Tam-Tam and Nati close behind. Mikey and Don looked to each other before following after them.

* * *

“Around here, there are many dangerous and venomous creatures that you need to look out for.” Dax explained as he easily navigated through the thickness of the forest. Raph and Leo kept up with him. “You can never be too careful.”

“You're starting to sound like Leo, Dax.”

Dax chuckled. “Am I now?” he turned to Leo who was glaring at his younger brother. “Well, my point still stands. It is quite dangerous here and I do not want anything to happen to you. We want to get you back home safely.”

They kept moving through the forest, Dax would occasionally point out and explain what a certain animal or plant was, what they would normally hunt and gather for food, what to avoid and the brothers paid close attention. Sometime in the middle of their lesson, Leo spoke up. “Hey Dax, can I ask you a couple things?”

Dax stopped walking and looked to Leo. “What is it?”

“It's about Kai?”

Dax gave him his undivided attention. “Go on.”

“How far does his power reach?”

Dax tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I'm assuming there are more villages. This guy can't rule over an entire planet, can he?”

“Ah, I understand now.” He looked around on the ground until he found a branch. “I will show you the hierarchy.” He then proceeded to draw a fairly large circle in the ground. He then split the circle into four sections. “In each one of these territories there is one ruling family.” in each section, he drew two stick figures representing a king and queen. “The ruling family only has control over the villages in their territory and they can run their territory however they want.” he drew a line underneath the stick figures and separated the area under that into three sections. “And each territory holds three villages, each with their own village leader and ten vaos."

“So one ruling family can't just takeover another, right?” Leo asked worried, now that he knew what kind of person Kai was.

“You cannot, but I do not think Kai cares. I am sure that he will try one day and that would cause unneeded strain between the territories.” Dax dropped the branch. “Fortunately for us, Kai most likely will not be doing something like that right now. His main focus is to pleasure himself by torturing us.”

“But it's possible he might?” Raph asked.

Dax gave an angered sigh. “Yes and none of this would have happened if not for that traitor.” he shook his head and absentmindedly ran a hand over the scar running along his chest and abdomen.

Raph noticed this and asked. "...How did you get that scar?"

"The traitor did this to me." Dax growled. "The day we stormed the palace, in the middle of battle. He suddenly attacked me without warning. When that happened, that is when the fight took a turn for the worse. Yes, the number of people that followed Kai were many, but we still pushed through. We would not give up. So it hurt all of us when the man that the other vao called a friend, the man that my father called a brother, betrayed us. He began to take out other vao, turning everything in the favor of Kai.” he turned away from the brothers. “The outcome would have been different had he not done what he did.” he brought a hand back up to the scar. “I have this scar, the memory of my fellow vao being destroyed and the memory of my father being executed to remember that day by, to remember what he did. The traitor cannot be forgiven.”

Leo and Raph listened intently. It was hard not to feel bad for the guy. To be betrayed like that by a close friend and to lose his father all in the same day was probably a lot to handle. It was still probably pretty fresh in his mind too.

Dax took a shuddering breath and wiped a tear from his face before facing the brothers again. “I'm sorry Leonardo, what was your other question?”

“Oh... well, yesterday, I noticed that you were able to... I guess, sense how I was feeling without even looking at me. How did you do that?”

“We vaos have the ability to sense how people are feeling due to one thing.” he began to explain. He knelt down and placed his hands on the ground. He motioned for the brothers to follow his lead. When they did, they felt movement. It felt like the ground beneath them was slowly expanding and contracting slightly. “Do you feel that?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Raph said.

“It feels like... it's breathing?” Leo added.

“Yes, that is the breath of Tandaya. Sometimes, even I forget about this sensation. If you do not pay attention, you miss it.”

“Who's Tandaya?” Leo asked.

“She is one of our deities that keeps the balance in this territory.” he stood up as he continued on. “It is because of her that I am able to tell how people are feeling. Happiness, sadness, worry, anger, or distress. I can even tell if someone is lying. Whatever she feels, I feel. Whatever she sees, I see. And not just people near me, I can sense those farther away from me. Each territory has a goddess watching over them.”

The brothers exchanged glances. They were never really ones to believe in deities, so some of this seemed pretty outlandish, but who were they to argue. They were aliens here. They knew that things would be different and to top it off, they just felt the ground move. As far as they knew, the ground usually didn't do that.

“But how are you able to see what she sees and others can't?” Raph asked.

Dax hummed thoughtfully. “Perhaps that is a lesson for another day.” he turned away and continued walking.

They went on their merry way until they came to a clearing. In the middle of it they saw two small lakras. One was trapped under a net, trying frantically to get free. The other was tied up in another trap. It was hanging upside down by its paws, trying to wriggle out of the rope. “Kai.” Dax muttered menacingly.

“Of course he has something to do with this.” Raph growled.

“No time to get upset now. Let us focus on freeing the cubs.” Dax suggested, putting his own anger aside.

“Right.”

They approached the trapped cubs. The one caught under the net attempted to back away from the strangers only to get itself further tangled. “Why is he targeting cubs?” Leo asked.

“Because he needs them. The ones that he has kept in his custody after he defeated the other vaos are becoming weaker, so he is starting to see them as useless. In order to continue doing what he is doing he needs more lakra and cubs are the easiest to capture, so he settles for them.” Dax explained. “Free them. I will keep watch.”

Leo approached the all black one trapped under the net. Its terrified, golden gaze stared up helplessly at the leader. “Don't worry, I'll get you out.” he spoke softly.

Raph approached the black one with white paws and on the tip of its tail. It growled defensively and even tried to bite him when his hand got too close. “Hey, knock it off. I'm trying to help you out here.” Raph growled back. He slipped his sai in between the rope and cut it easily. He caught the young cub in his free arm and placed it on the ground.

Leo quickly and carefully sliced through the net. The black cub climbed through the opening and slowly made its way toward its savior. The one Raph saved did the same. The cubs cautiously sniffed them and after a few seconds they nuzzled against their legs in an act of gratitude.

“You're welcome.” Leo chuckled.

“Leonardo, Raphael,” Dax said sharply. “we are not alone.”

“Where are they?” Raph asked, immediately pulling out his sai.

Dax looked up at the trees. “Hiding up there. Move now!” he exclaimed.

Raph and Leo grabbed a cub and they moved out of the way as arrows landed right where they were standing moments ago.

“Ven fafo, okulaais.” Dax called out.

After a few seconds of silence, the assailants appeared. Coming out to stand in the clearing and a few hopped out from the trees wielding bow and arrows.

Dax, Leo, and Raph prepared themselves for a fight. “Kai's people?” Leo asked.

“Yes.” Dax pulled his bladed gauntlets onto his hands as he got ready to fight.

“That figures.” Raph said, with a roll of his eyes.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so Kai is a:  
> -Murderous maniac  
> -Sexual abuser  
> -Animal abuser  
> and now we can add  
> -Baby murderer  
> I don't think I can make this guy any worse if I tried.


	12. Bonding With Some Lakras

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Au'tam= Father

* * *

Chapter 12

Dax jumped into action, taking on two with his gauntlets. The brothers nodded to each other and went to join him. Leo sliced a spear in half and side kicked its holder into another guard. Raph got in close and grabbed one by the wrist, shifting his weight, he threw the guy over his shoulder. The two cubs tried to stay as close as they could to the people that saved them, but they were getting in the way.

Leo sliced through a few more arrows before he and his brother grabbed the cubs and brought them to safety behind a tree. The young lakras looked up at them with sad yellow eyes.

Leo gave the all black lakra a reassuring pat on the head. "We'll be back. Don't worry."

"Until then, stay low." Raph added.

They weren't sure if they actually understood, until the cubs crouched down low behind some shrubs. Satisfied, Leo and Raph returned to the fight.

Almost immediately after coming back to fight, Leo noticed an archer aiming another arrow at Dax's back. "Dax, look out!" Leo warned before his sword cut through the arrow.

Dax looked back, momentarily confused, by the yell. When he noticed the broken arrow on the ground, he knew what happened and he nodded his thanks to the blue banded turtle.

"We've gotta take out those archers." Raph said angrily as he dodged another arrow coming right for him.

"Agreed." Dax said blocking an attack and kicking his assailant away.

Once the number of guards dwindled, they cautiously made their way to the archers. But before they could get to them, an enraged roar emanated from the forest. A fully grown lakra made its presence known by latching onto one of the archers' shoulders with its teeth and throwing him all the way across the clearing. The turtles and Dax watched as the body slumped to the ground, unconscious and bleeding. Another archer aimed an arrow at the beast as it came for him. The arrow bounced helplessly off the lakra's horn and it fell to the ground, broken. He was taken out with a swipe of its strong paw.

"Leonardo, Raphael, where are the cubs?" Dax asked quietly as he watched the lakra gore another guard with its pointed horn. Their chest plates standing no chance against the enraged beast. The bloodied corpse was tossed aside like it was nothing.

"Hopefully still hiding behind that tree." Leo said.

"Go get them, quickly." Dax ordered. The brothers went over to the tree and shrubs that the cubs were thankfully still hiding behind. They scooped them up and stood next to Dax.

The lakra had scared the remaining guards away by that point and was now glaring their way.

"Put the cubs down." Dax ordered gently, not taking his eyes off the beast.

The brothers complied and the cubs ran toward it.

"Is that the mother?" Raph asked.

"Father." Dax said. "Which is arguably worse."

The father nuzzled against his cubs, purring happily. Now that he knew his babies were safe, he slowly made his way to Dax, Leo and Raph. They stood frozen as the lakra's steely gaze pierced them. Then, to their surprise, the lakra slowly bowed his head to them in gratitude. "You are welcome." Dax said as he relaxed. The lakra raised his head and began walking away with his cubs in tow.

Dax sighed in relief.

"That could've been bad." Raph said.

"Very much so." Dax agreed. "Now, let us go."

* * *

Back in the village, Avery and Nati had finished their home treatments.

"How are you holding up, Mikey?" Don asked curiously.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Avery asked.

"Yeah, I am."

"Very well," she turned her attention to Nati. "Go back to the infirmary. Take care of things there until I return."

Nati nodded and walked away. "Come with me." she said to the brothers.

Don and Mikey followed Avery and Tam-Tam through a thick patch of woods off to the west of the village. "Where are we going?" it was Mikey's turn to ask questions.

"I just wanted to pay a visit to Tam-Tam's family. I come here whenever I can in between treating others. They always make me feel better when I am feeling sad." Avery answered.

A short distance later they came to a grove. A gray lakra with white eyes, thick black fur around the neck, and a red horn was lounging in the sunlight as she watched her four young cubs play out in the open. She picked her head up as the newcomers approached, eyeing them warily. Tam-Tam greeted her with a nuzzle, calming her.

The cubs went up to greet Mikey, Don and Avery. One cub with gray fur, a white muzzle and a white circular patch of fur on her side cautiously approached Don. Her sea green eyes studied him closely. Once she decided that he was okay, she rubbed her head against his leg. Don smiled and reached down to pet her head. Mikey knelt down and picked up another gray furred cub with red eyes, a white spot on top of his head and a ring of white fur around the neck that hadn't fully grown out yet. He excitedly licked the orange banded turtle's face.

"See, do you not feel better?"

"I know I do." Mikey laughed.

"I always come by after taking care of my patients. It always brightens my mood."

"I can understand that." Don stroked the fur of the white muzzled cub. The cub purred happily and climbed into his lap, looking up at him with soft sea green eyes. Don smiled back down at her. As Don continued petting the young lakra, a thought came to his mind. Something that has been weighing on him since earlier this morning. "Hey Avery, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, my friend."

"What happened to Nati? Why doesn't she talk?" he asked curiously.

Avery looked down sadly at the cub snuggling against her chest. She sighed and spoke. "Nati has not spoken a word since her parents were killed."

"Let me guess. Kai?" Mikey said.

Avery nodded. "Yes, they were a few of the many victims that Kai killed when he was having his fun. She used to be so lively. A little shy around newcomers, but still a happy one. She was a wonderful singer as well, but she really has not been the same since they died. I do not think she will ever speak again."

"I see." Don said thoughtfully. "That's unfortunate."

"Hey, you grew up with Kai. Was he always like this?" Mikey asked curiously.

Avery sighed. "To be honest, I am not entirely sure. I do not remember him being so cruel to anyone outside of his brother. And he only started acting that way toward him when it was announced that he would be king and not Kai."

"How did the former king and queen come to the decision to make Kai's brother the king?" Don asked.

"I am not sure why, but I am glad that they made that decision. Despite being first born, it was very clear that Kai was not meant to inherit any power. Perhaps they knew that he would abuse it and they were trying to save us the trouble." Avery sighed. "It is a shame it did not work the way they planned."

"Don't worry, either way we're going to help you." Mikey said, confidently.

"I appreciate it Michelangelo." she said with a warm smile. "And do not worry, you will be home soon." Avery put the cub down and stood up. "Let us go back to the village."

They didn't know why, but Mikey and Don looked to each other rather anxiously when she mentioned going home. They stood up and followed her out of the woods.

* * *

Back at Jatari's, he and his son, Moba sat at their low table, eating a meal that Jatari had prepared. They sat in comfortable silence until the child spoke. "Au'tam? Why are people so mean to you?"

The question caught him off guard. "What do you mean, Moba?"

"When I go outside to see my friends. I hear people saying mean things about you." Moba said, innocently.

Jatari winced. "What did you hear them say?"

"They call you a traitor a lot. I know a traitor is a bad thing, so why do they call you that? You are not a bad person, are you Au'tam?"

Jatari remained silent for a moment, gripping the edge of the table. He never wanted for his son to experience what he was going through and he didn't want him to hear about it either. But it's not like he could blame any of them for talking. He loosened his grip on the table. "No, I am not. But the people of the village think I am because of the choices I have made."

"Is it because you serve Kai?" Moba asked.

The question kind of threw him off guard. He wasn't expecting his young son to be this observant. Jatari didn't respond.

"That is it, is it not?"

The father sighed. "Just eat, Moba. Do not worry about what is happening to me."

Moba continued. "I do not like that you are with him, Au'tam. You should not be with him."

Jatari started to get mildly annoyed. The last thing he wanted to do was have this conversation with his kid. "Eat, Moba."

"But Au'tam..."

Before he could stop himself, he snapped. Jatari slammed his hand on the table, startling Moba. "I will not hear anymore about this. Now eat."

Moba remained silent for a minute. He was disappointed. He pushed the wooden dish away and stood up. "I am not hungry." he quickly made his way to his room.

"Moba!" Jatari quickly called out. He ran a hand down his face, regretting what he had said to him. "I am sorry."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was just a bit of filler.  
> Enjoy.


	13. Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mir Katu= My King
> 
> Inado= childish
> 
> Hunoi= brother
> 
> Aleva= Rise
> 
> Quani= What
> 
> Quani'su sona shista=What is that look for
> 
> Hunai= sister
> 
> Quani shista= What look
> 
> Shista fadohai= the look of adoration
> 
> Grahatai= Thank you
> 
> De'no ka= You're welcome
> 
> Sukai= Mister/ Sir

* * *

Jatari was called into the throne room. This was one of the largest rooms in the palace. Slender, unlit braziers hung from pearl colored columns lining the walls. Sets of cream colored, ornate double doors leading to a maze of palace corridors sat in between those columns and another at the opposite end of the room. Jade green tapestries hung from the walls that matched the color of the draperies that covered the grand window behind the throne. The floor, made of a polished, light colored stone held an intricate design of a willow tree overlaying a green circle tiled right in the middle of the room.

The throne that Kai was sitting on, sat up on a high dais and was made of a dark wood with an elegant design. The jade green cushions were put there for the king's comfort. Another throne of similar design sat next to it for the future queen. Sitting right next to Kai, on the floor was a small wooden sphere and a small gong like instrument.

Jatari walked across the polished floors to the dais of the throne where Kai was sitting, flanked by several of his guards. He looked as pompous as ever as a smug smile spread across his face. Jatari brought a fist across his chest and dropped to one knee as he bowed to Kai. "Daumai vola."

"Ah, Jatari."

"You wished to see me, Katu Kai."

"Yes, follow me." he stood from his throne and began to make his way down the dais. He exited out of one of the doors to his left. It led to a hallway with one single, black, ornate door. Sliding said door open he headed down the spiral staircase and into the darkness of the dungeons with Jatari in tow.

"If I may ask, mir Katu. Why are you leading me down here?" Jatari asked cautiously.

"There is someone I wish for you to take care of for me." Kai continued leading him deeper into the dungeons. The only light came from the dimly lit lanterns that lined the halls. Jatari silently followed behind, while a wary feeling grew in the pit of his stomach. Kai came to a stop at the very end of the hall and gestured for Jatari to open it for him.

Jatari stepped in front of Kai and pushed the stone door forward and then off to the side. Once the prisoner came into view, Jatari's stomach twisted into knots. There sat Beloose, slouched against the wall, sleeping. He was looking a bit worse for wear. "Is that...?" he began to ask.

"It is. My young brother, Beloose." Kai answered with a cocky smile.

"But... I thought he was dead." Jatari said, trying to keep his voice as evenly toned as possible. "You told us he was."

"A mere lie. I had to make sure the villagers would not attempt anything foolish. Unfortunately, those vao still tried and it cost them. It is a shame, they could have been some use to me." Kai shrugged, before giving Jatari a hard slap on the shoulder. "If it had not been for you, I do not know if we would have beaten them. You were the only one smart enough to fight with me. Now, what I need you to do is make him eat."

"He is not eating on his own?" Jatari asked, somehow managing to keep the worry out of his voice.

Kai walked up to the slouched figure on the floor and kicked him hard in the leg. "Inado! He refuses to eat when my guards feed him."

Beloose began to slowly rouse from his sleep. He looked up at his brother and the vao that willfully stood beside him. His tired yellow eyes immediately turning into a darkened glare at the sight of them, his tail whipped back and forth angrily. "Hunoi, you know Jatari?" Kai introduced with a sinister smirk across his face. Jatari met Beloose's eyes. The look of betrayal in his king's eyes was almost enough to break him.

"Jatari? How could you? You traitor!" there was that word again. Jatari winced as the word fell from his king's lips.

"Now, now hunoi. No need for that. Jatari will be taking care of you from now on."

"It will make no difference who you send in here, hunoi." Beloose growled. "I will not eat.

"Well, I cannot let you die. There is still so much I need to tell you about. It would be beneficial for me if you stayed alive."

"I would rather die than listen to you gloat about your accomplishments." he looked to Jatari then down at the stone floor. "Bringing _him_ in here will change nothing."

"Well, that is too bad." he turned to Jatari, now frustrated. "Make sure he eats, force him if you have to." he said before leaving the confines of the stone cell.

Jatari went to follow him, but not before taking another glance at the real king. His steely gaze pierced him again. It was clear he wanted nothing to do him. He walked out of the cell and pulled the cell door back in place. "Mir Katu," Jatari started. "Why did you tell me about this?"

"I figured that he would be more inclined to stay alive if he was being fed by someone he knew. And besides, now you can prove your loyalty to me." he said simply.

"Quani? But have I not done so, mir Katu?" he asked.

"You have done more than anyone else has. Without you, we never would have beaten those other vao. Now is your chance to solidify your loyalty. Do not fail me."

Kai didn't have to say anything more than that. Jatari knew a threat when he heard one. "O-of course, Mir Katu." Jatari stuttered.

A smug smirk formed on Kai's lips. "Wonderful! I am glad I chose you."

Jatari felt his heart sink. "Chose me?"

"Of course. I saw how worried you were. I also knew how protective you were over Moba. I gave you a choice and luckily for you, you chose correctly. Now your precious son is safe just like you wanted."

"Right, I... um," Jatari suddenly felt a little light headed.

"You are suddenly hesitant?" Kai asked.

"No!" he said hurriedly and stood up straight. "I am not. I will do as you say."

Kai eyed the vao suspiciously. "Very well, start feeding him today. I need him healthy."

"Yes, Katu Kai." he left Kai's side to head toward the spiral staircase to the main floor. All while Kai's words echoed in his mind. He was chosen because Kai saw how worried he was about his son. He found Jatari's weakness and used that against him. He knew, in that moment, that things had to change now. Seeing Beloose gave him a little bit of hope. There was hope that they could really fix this. He couldn't run away from this anymore. He had to get him out of there.

Jatari made his way through the maze of hallways throughout the palace until he came to the sliding door of the palace's food storage room. He made something quick for the king, grabbed a brighter lantern and headed back down to the holding cells under the palace. As instructed, he headed to Beloose's cell. He pushed the heavy, stone door inward and then pushed it aside. The light from the lantern revealed Beloose still chained to the wall, his body slouched over slightly as he had went back to sleep. He placed the dish and the lantern aside and gently shook the sleeping figure. Beloose woke with a start and immediately lashed out with his foot. Beloose was fast, but Jatari was faster and moved out of the way of his kick.

"It is okay, mir Katu." he bowed low in front of him. "It is me, your vao, Jatari."

"Vao Jatari." Beloose growled. His face turning to a snarl at the site of him. "I already said that I will not eat. You cannot force me, traitor."

Still remaining in his bowing position, he squeezed his eyes shut knowing full well that Dax wasn't the only one he had to convince. "Mir Katu, I know how this looks, but I am not here for the reason you think I am. I want to get you out of here." Beloose stayed quiet for a bit. Contemplating what he'd just heard. "I swear to you that I only wish to help you."

Beloose stayed silent for a moment. Was he really telling the truth? "Jatari, look at me." he told him, gently.

Jatari shook his head, keeping his eyes to the floor. "I am not worthy of such a thing. Not after what I have done."

Beloose wasn't sure what he was talking about. "Aleva, Vao Jatari." Beloose ordered. Unable to ignore that sharp tone, Jatari flinched and obeyed without hesitation, looking him directly in the eye. However, his shame made it hard for him to keep that eye contact.

Fortunately for Jatari, Beloose could see that shame and regret and nodded. "I believe you."

Those three words were enough to make Jatari look back up at his king. "You do?"

"Yes." Beloose said with a nod. "You wish to make things right. I can see it in your eyes."

"Grahatai, mir Katu. Grahatai." Jatari graciously bowed his head again.

"Of course." he said with a genuine smile. "Now, tell me Jatari, what is happening outside?"

Jatari brought the dish up to Beloose's mouth as he began feeding him. "After he told us all that you were dead and he was taking your place, your vao stormed the palace to try to remove him. I was anxious about it and Kai used that against me. I felt that what we were doing was just going to make things worse for us and our families. And then that's when I..." Jatari paused in his explanation, not wanting to bring up what he had done.

"Continue." Beloose encouraged.

"I helped Kai defeat the other vao. Most were and publicly executed. The rest were imprisoned and they did not last very long in the conditions that Kai left them in."

"They are all gone? Even Futir and Dax?" he asked, worried about the people he had grown up with.

"No, Dax is alive. Sadly, Futir did meet his end."

"That is it?"

Jatari nodded solemnly.

"What about Avery?" the young king asked.

"She is still alive, but is being forced into a union with Kai." Jatari stated.

Beloose grimaced. Learning of the fate of his friends and his people was a lot to grasp. He felt helpless.

"Everyone is fearing for their lives Katu Beloose and it will only get worse. And this is all my fault." Jatari shook his head in shame.

Beloose became silent as he took in all the information. "Kai, my foolish brother. Just what are you doing?"

"That is not all. He had us capture the deceased vao's lakras and turned them into mindless, uncontrollable beasts through starvation and abuse. He then sent them running rampant through the villages in your territory. When he was bored of that he used our tentaiki to send them to other planets. Too many people have died, Mir Katu, he must be stopped."

"Agreed."

"What can we do?"

Beloose began to wrack his brain for any solution to their problem. "There is no other option, but to fight."

Jatari looked up at him with a curious glance. "What did you have in mind? Kai has gained many more followers since then. It will be even more difficult for us to fight especially now with your... limited forces."

"Ne Kuelo Magen." Beloose said, sternly. "That is the only way."

Jatari blinked in shock. He hadn't heard those words in a long time. "There has not been a Kuelo Magen in many generations." he observed.

"That is because there was no need for one, but now with my brother, we do not have any other choice." Beloose said.

"But how do we get to you to let you out so that it can happen?" Jatari asked. "His guards are everywhere and they are many."

"There are many rooms and many secret passages in this palace. Some that even Kai does not know about. We could use that to our advantage."

"Tell me, mir Katu, where are these rooms and passages?"

Beloose went into a long spiel about all of the secret passages in the palace, how to open them and where they can avoid getting caught. "Thank you, Katu Beloose. I will tell Dax about this and we will find a way to free you as well as remove Kai."

"I trust that you will."

With a final bow, Jatari grabbed the lantern and empty dish and walked out, sliding the stone slab back into place. He made his way back up the stairs, thinking of ways to prepare for the fight that would soon come.

* * *

As the days rolled by and Mikey continued to heal, the guys had to find other things to do to occupy their time. Mikey hung around in or near the infirmary. His injuries were almost completely healed, it was the venom that everyone was still worried about. He looked down at his hand. The blackness on his hand was about the size of golf ball at this point. That means he was still technically poisoned. As a result, he didn't stray too far unless he was with someone. He found himself spending more time with Avery than anyone else, which she didn't seem to mind.

Don kept himself busy by helping out Avery and Nati in the infirmary. His knowledge from Earth helped him to pick up on things quicker. When he wasn't doing that, He would just sit and talk to Nati, of course she would never say anything back, but she appreiciated the company all the same.

Raph and Leo helped Dax in the forest as well as in the village while getting acquainted with the villagers. Despite them doing their own thing, they still prepared themselves for their eventual and inevitable fight with Kai and his guards. And the more Kai came out of his palace to torment and harass the villagers and Avery, the easier it was for the guys to dislike him. They would have no problem fighting this guy head on when the time came.

Mikey sat up against the infirmary, refusing to be cooped up inside, and watched as people strolled by. Moba and a few of his friends ran by, kicking a hand-stitched ball around. They were sure to stay out of the way of the adults. He smiled at the sight of all these people getting along despite how they looked. It was a rare sight for him where he could just be outside and not be called a freak. He shut his eyes and let the sun warm his face. He was going to enjoy this time as much as he possibly could.

He felt a weight land in his lap and his eyes snapped open. The ball that the kids were playing with was sitting there. The children stood there staring. "Sorry, Sukai Mikey." Moba said as they waited for Mikey to toss it back to them.

Mikey grinned mischievously and stood up. After testing how much weight he could put on his leg, he dropped it on the floor and lightly kicked it toward them, soon he was joining them in their little game. Running and laughing as they kicked the ball back and forth. Avery and Dax stepped out of the infirmary and Avery smiled warmly as he watched Mikey join in with the children's game.

Her older brother noticed this almost instantly. "Quani'su sona shista, hunai?"

Avery's smile dropped and she blushed at being caught ogling. "Quani shista?"

"Shista fadohai. Do not think I did not see it."

She turned away from him. "I do not know what you speak of."

Dax crossed his arms and hummed knowingly.

Somewhere during playtime, one of the children tripped and fell. Before Avery could step in, Mikey quickly sprung into action as the child started to cry. He gently picked the child up off the ground and cradled her. She was a little girl with pale yellow skin and pale green eyes. He brushed her silvery locks out of her face and smiled gently. "You okay?"

The little girl stopped crying and wiped away her tears. She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. He turned to the other kids and kicked the ball back toward them. "It's okay, keep playing." the other children continued their game as Mikey carried the young girl to the spectating Avery. Moba, worried about his friend, followed Mikey.

Avery quickly examined the little girl's bleeding leg. "Come, little one. I will take care of you." She took the little girl from Mikey's arms and brought her inside to fix up the scrape, leaving Mikey, Dax and Moba outside.

"Will Inu be okay, Vao Dax?" he asked innocently.

Dax crouched down so he would be at eye level with the child and gave him a reassuring pat on the head. "She will be alright, Moba. Avery will take care of her. Now, run along."

Moba nodded, trusting Dax. "Grahatai, Vao Dax."

"De'no ka."

Before he ran back to join his friends, he latched onto Mikey's hand. "Come play again, Sukai Mikey." eyes pleading as he gently pulled on his hand.

A gentle smile spread across Mikey's face as he crouched down to eye level. "Maybe some other time, buddy. I have to rest my leg a bit."

Moba was only slightly disappointed as he went back to playing with his friends. "You're very nice to him."

"Of course, why would I not?" Dax asked.

"Well, with him being Jatari's son and all..."

Dax promptly cut him off. "I would never punish a child for the sins of a father. What happened to me, my sister and this village was not his fault. The fault lies with the traitor only."

Mikey shrugged. "Fair enough."

Avery came back out of the infirmary with Inu in tow, her scrape covered with a fresh bandage. As soon as the little girl stepped outside, she immediately ran back out to play with her friends. Avery looked back to Mikey "You are very good with children, Michelangelo."

"Thanks," Mikey said with a smile and a blush. "It was nothing."

"How are you feeling today?" she asked, checking his leg to make sure he didn't reopen his wound again while playing.

"I'm fine," he said, waving it off. "I made sure to be extra careful about it."

"Not feeling unwell?" she asked referring to the poison.

"No, I feel great."

Avery smiled. "Well, since you are healing well, would you like to take a walk with me?"

"Um, sure." he nervously scratched the back of his head. It was then that he noticed she was holding two wicker baskets.

Avery took hold of his hand and led him to a less dense area of the forest to the east of the village. Dax watched them warily as they wandered off. Mikey gently closed his hand around hers as they continued walking. They didn't stray too far from the village just in case Mikey became too tired and needed to rest.

Two creatures pranced by them. They both had spotted blue fur and long snouts. They stopped at a nearby tree and long anteater-like tongues slithered out from the end of the snout and into small holes in the tree. Mikey stopped to watch them curiously. "Those are zabarias," Avery informed. "They feast on the sap and bark of the trees."

"Is that what we have been eating?" Mikey asked, curiously taking a shot in the dark.

"It is one of our main food sources, but that is not why we're here." Avery handed him one of the wicker baskets. "I need to collect certain plants and herbs. Do you mind helping?"

"Sure." he grabbed the basket from her. He looked around him at the variety of plants surrounding them. He scratched his head, confused. "Um... what are we collecting?"

Avery giggled at his confused look. She then took hold of his hand and walked a little further until they came to a bed of odd-looking flowers. The plant had a hardened, spiny black stem. Sprouting from the stem were blue and white bulbs. "These are amabilla dulsu." she crouched down in front of the bed and Mikey followed. "Inside these bulbs, there is an aloe that I use on bandages to help speed up the healing process." she picked a bulb off the stem and broke it in half. There was a blue liquid in both halves and she handed one off to Mikey. "It also doubles as a sweet treat." she drank the inside and tossed the empty bulb aside. "Try it."

Mikey shrugged and drank out of it. The inside tasted very sweet, sweeter than he expected. It was like he was drinking liquid sugar. Mikey loved sweet, sugary drinks, but even this taste caught him off guard. "Wow," he coughed a bit. "I wasn't expecting that. That is really sweet."

Avery giggled. "I am sorry. Perhaps I should have warned you about that."

"No worries." he laughed. "I could use the pick me up. How many of these do you need?"

"As many as you can hold in that basket."

"No problem." Mikey got to work picking the bulbs and placing them in the basket. Avery got to work picking some of the bulbs next to him.

"So, why don't you tell me about your family back on Earth. Mother, Father?"

Mikey stiffened for a second. "We had a father that adopted and raised us."

"Oh. What happened?" she could sense that something had gone wrong. "If you do not wish to talk about it, then I understand."

"Nah, it's okay." he sighed. "He got real sick one day. My bros and I did everything we could to help him get better and for a while, he was. Then one night while he was going to bed he apparently had some sort of heart issue. I think Don said it was a heart attack. We didn't know about it until we got up the next morning."

"I am so sorry." Avery quickly apologized.

"...It's okay." Mikey said with an understandably pained expression.

Avery quickly changed the subject. "Any friends on Earth?"

Mikey smiled as he thought about his friends back at home. "Well, there's April and Casey. They've been friends of ours for a long time now. Helped us get out of a lot of bad situations."

"Were you and your brothers always causing trouble?" Avery asked.

"Trouble usually followed us," he said.

"I see," Avery said. "And it has happened yet again here." even though she was told not to feel guilty about their involvement she just couldn't help it.

Mikey gently nudged her with his elbow. "I told you, it's okay. I don't mind that I have to get involved, neither do my bros."

"I know, but..." Avery froze when Mikey suddenly grabbed hold of her hand. "Michelangelo?"

Mikey put his half-full basket aside. He took her basket and placed it next to his so he could take hold of her other hand. His baby blue eyes met her amethyst ones and try as she might, she just couldn't look away. "Don't apologize anymore. This isn't your fault. The only one at fault here is Kai. He's the one keeping us here. Besides," he rubbed a thumb along the back of her hand. "I don't mind getting into trouble if it means helping you."

Avery blushed. "Thank you, Michelangelo."

Mikey winked and gave her hands a reassuring squeeze before releasing them. He picked up his basket and continued picking the bulbs off of the spiny, black stem.

A light breeze blew by, rustling the leaves on the trees. Avery looked up in time to see a black shadow flutter away. She had a bad feeling about that.

Mikey noticed the uneasy look on her face and asked. "Are you okay?"

Avery snapped out of it. "Yes, I am." Avery gave another quick glance toward the trees where that shadow was before continuing with her task.

* * *

Back in the village, Don was just finishing up stitching a wound closed on someone's leg. His patient was a young girl, she couldn't be much older than he was. Her teal colored skin grew paler with each passing moment. Her shallow breathing and small whines of pain were the only indications that she was still alive. One of the healers, Sowa, had explained to him that she was poisoned, which was very common in this world. Sowa was an older healer with scaly, dark orange skin. He wore a white robe like the rest of the healers that reached his ankles. He as well as Nati both watched as Don worked with precision.

"Thank you, Donatello," Sowa told him. "You have been very helpful to us these past few days."

"No problem, Sowa." Don looked down at the patient as he wrapped bandages around her leg. "Now what do we do?"

"Now, we wait." Sowa stood up and smoothed out his robes. "I have given her an antidote. That is all we can do." Nati stood up as well and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. Don looked up at her and smiled. He stood up and followed both of the healers out of the room. "You are quite skilled in the ways of healing, Donatello." the older one said.

"Yeah, back home I had to teach myself how to take care of my family when things got rough," Don explained. "We couldn't go to a doctor for help so my brothers relied on me for this kind of stuff."

"I see." the orange-scaled man placed a three-fingered hand on Don's shoulder. "Your brothers are very lucky to have you."

Don smiled. "Thanks."

"And, perhaps, with training you can become a tacura as well. We could always use extra hands."

Don thought about it, then shrugged. "Maybe."

Sowa made his way to another one of his patients. Nati went to follow him, but Don stopped her when he grabbed onto her wrist. "Hey Nati, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about what happened to your parents."

Nati looked away from him, understandably upset, but of course she didn't say a word. "Just know that we're going to stop Kai, okay?" he reassured her.

Her eyes met his and she nodded her thanks before walking away from him.

* * *

Later on that day, as the sun was setting behind the palace the guys met up in the woods near the village. Not straying too far for Mikey's sake. "Okay guys, what do we think. Our main priority is figuring out a way to get home. How do you think we should do that"

The younger brothers hesitated before answering. "Well, the way I see it" Don started. "First thing we need to do is convince Jatari that going against Kai is what we need to do. He's the only one on the inside and close enough to Kai to really know anything."

"At this point I don't see Jatari doing that. He's way to scared of Kai to do anything to him." Raph added.

"It would probably help if Dax and Jatari would work together to figure something out." Mikey said.

"Yeah, that's not happening." Leo said. "Dax won't even refer to Jatari by his name. The guy feels betrayed, he's not going to work with Jatari without a lot of convincing."

Don sighed. "Either way, we're not going anywhere until Mikey's fully healed."

Changing the subject, Raph turned to his brother. "So, little brother, how have you and your girlfriend been doing?" he teased.

Mikey stiffened. "She's not my girlfriend."

Leo and Don chuckled at the embarrassed look on their younger brother's face. "But I bet you want her to be." Raph continued. "You guys do any making out yet?" he asked, followed by some kissing noises.

"I'm gonna head back." Mikey stated suddenly. He stalked off back towards the village with his brothers still laughing behind him.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some interesting developments.


	14. Please Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le'ai= no

Raph, Leo, and Dax sat around in the branches of a tree. "Hey Dax, do you think Jatari might be able to find a way to stop Kai?" Leo asked suddenly.

Dax sat up on the branch right above the brothers. He scoffed at the question. "I do not know. We should not rely on him. We need to plan on our own and once your brother fully heals, we will."

Raph readjusted himself on the branch he was sitting on and as soon as he turned away from his brother, he came face to face with a very tall animal. It had a furry, round, brown body on six long, slender, spider-like legs. On top of its back sat four red sacks with something wriggling inside all of them. Black eyes stared curiously at the red banded turtle in the tree top. Raph was startled so bad that he almost fell out of the tree. Once he steadied himself, he asked. "What is that?"

Dax chuckled. "It is a coriad. Very mild mannered creatures. They won't hurt you. And look," he pointed to the red sacks on its back. "this one is going to be a mother soon. Those egg sacks look like they're going to hatch very soon."

"Fascinating," Raph stated, sarcastically. "Why is she staring though?"

"Curiosity, most likely." Dax reached up and grabbed an oddly shaped red and orange fruit off the branch right above him. "Here, feed her a marsica." he dropped the fruit to the brother on the branch below him.

Raph caught it and cautiously held the fruit out to the coriad. Taking a sniff of the offering, she then opened her wide mouth and a long tongue slithered out, wrapping around the fruit and pulling it back into her mouth. With a happy bellow, the coriad stalked off, finding an empty tree to feast from. There was such a wide variety of flora and fauna on this planet that it seemed like Leo and Raph would see something new everyday.

Just then, Jatari came riding up on his lakra named Karsi. Karsi was a simple black color with dark brown fur around her neck and a black three pronged horn along her muzzle. "Dax!" Jatari called out as he dismounted. "I found you. I believe I found a solution to all of our problems."

"Really?" Leo hopped out of the tree followed by Raph. "What is it?"

"Do not believe anything he tells you." Dax shouted from his spot on the branch. "You cannot trust him."

"Please Dax, you have to listen to me."

"No!" he snapped and hopped off the branch. "I do not have to do anything you tell me."

"Dax, please. I know what I did. I know that you must despise me." Dax rolled his eyes at that. "I can only try to make things right. Just let me try."

"Why should I believe anything you say?" Dax asked with a growl. "I lost friends because of you. I lost my father because of you. My sister is now in danger because of you."

"And I deserve every bit of vitriol from you." Jatari said. "You do not have to believe me. Just listen."

"Come on, Dax. Let's just hear him out." Leo suggested.

"What've we got to lose?" Raph added.

"Our lives, if we put our trust in a traitor."

Jatari flinched at the word. "Please, Dax. I am begging you. I want to put the past behind us. I know it will be difficult for you because of how much you have lost. I promise you that I am ready to change."

Dax refused to answer. There were so many conflicting emotions going on in his mind. He just stood there with his arms crossed.

"Tell us, Jatari. We'll listen." Leo said, trying to diffuse the situation. He didn't know Jatari that well, but he could see that there was genuine guilt and a want to fix things.

"It is Beloose," Jatari said, breathlessly.

Dax noticeably stiffened and shook his head, eyes growing dark. "Beloose is dead."

"No, he is not. I have seen him with my own eyes."

"What!?" Dax exclaimed.

"Who's Beloose?" Raph asked.

"Our former Katu. The one who was supposed to be on the throne."

"You mean, Kai's brother?" Leo asked.

"Correct." he turned his attention back to Jatari. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

"What happened? How did you find this out?"

"Kai had brought me to the dungeon. He said he wanted me to personally take care of a certain prisoner and at the same time, prove my loyalty to him." he started. "He obviously does not want me to tell anyone."

"Prove your loyalty? As if betraying your friends wasn't proof enough." Raph spat. He didn't mean it as a shot at Jatari, it was more of a dig towards Kai, but Jatari still grimaced.

Leo responded by elbowing his younger brother in the arm. "Ow!" he growled at his brother. "What was that for!" the older brother pointed to the maroon colored man. The hurt look on his face said it all. "Oh, sorry Jatari."

"It is... fine." he said with a sigh.

"Why are you telling us this? You are not proving your loyalty to him by telling us." Dax asked.

"When we were told that Beloose was killed, I wanted to give up right then. I felt like there was no meaning to fighting against him, so to protect myself and my son I chose to fight with him, rather than against him." running a hand through his silver locks, he continued. "I will admit, I was a coward. But knowing that Beloose is alive now... I cannot continue being a coward or a traitor. Give me a chance to redeem myself." He looked to Dax, hoping that he believed anything he was saying. "For the last few days, we have been devising a plan to free him, but we are going to need you."

"I wish I could believe you." Dax said.

"I swear, I speak the truth." Jatari said.

"Will this help against Kai?" Raph asked.

"Yes, if what Jatari is saying is true and we reveal that the true Katu is alive and well, he can fight to retake his rightful place on the throne."

"Well then, we know what we need to do, but the main problem is still his guards. We need a plan for them." Leo added.

"As I said, that is only if what Jatari is saying is true." Before they could discuss anything further, they heard a scream from far away. All four were on high alert in an instant. "Come, there is trouble." They followed the cry deeper into the forest. It wasn't long before they came upon a group of people surrounding a girl. They were dressed in furs that was covering only the most important parts of their bodies.

The girl huddled against a tree as she was surrounded on all sides. A woman stepped forward and started to grab at her clothes yelling something in their native language. "Le'ai!" the girl screamed in terror.

Leo and Raph snapped into action at the sound of her cry for help. Taking out their weapons they charged for the group. The group looked up as two of their own were knocked out. The woman that was grabbing the young girl's clothes, probably the leader, shouted orders to the others. They attacked and Dax and Jatari ran in to help.

Jatari blocked an attack with his battle ax and dropped down for a sweeping kick. Another one pounced on Jatari's back, but he was quickly disposed of as Jatari backed into a tree with all his might. Karsi's roar was enough to scare some of them off. The ones that didn't run were promptly swatted away by the large paws of the lakra.

The leader came at Dax with a serrated hook blade. Dax sidestepped, grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. Dax side kicked another in the gut. The leader he held got thrown into the rough, unforgiving bark of a tree.

Leo and Raph blocked every attack that came their way. Leo roundhouse kicked one after disarming him just as Raph kicked away another. The bodies slammed against each other, knocking them both out. Once most of them were down the rest ran away. "Who were those guys?" Raph asked as he re sheathed his sais.

"Tozomid," Jatari stated matter of factly. "They choose not to live in any of the territories and instead live out here in the forest. They are very territorial. If you get caught trespassing, they will not hesitate to attack and take whatever or whoever they want. We were lucky to be here."

"Sounds like the gangs back home," Raph said.

"There really are many similarities between here and Earth," Leo added as the young girl that they saved approached them with eyes still brimming with tears. She grabbed Leo's hand and bowed deeply, expressing her thanks in her native language. "Well... except that." she went around to all of them and thanked them until she got to Jatari. Her grateful look turned sour as she recognized who it was. She turned away from him and ran off back to the village.

Jatari knew it was going to happen, but it still hurt. Changing the subject to hide his disappointment. "Perhaps, you would be more suited for life here." he said to the brothers.

Leo and Raph looked at each other, choosing to ignore the hurt look on his face. Leo spoke up again. "Nah, we don't belong here. Our home is on Earth."

"Right." Raph followed up, hesitant.

"Well, from what I know and from what you have told me, you are not welcome on your home planet." Dax said.

"That is true, but that's a big change." Leo said.

* * *

The treatment and care from Avery was making Mikey feel loads better. He was fully back on his feet within the next few days. "How are you feeling today, Michelangelo?" Avery asked.

"Much better, thanks to you." Mikey said.

"Are you sure? No lingering pain? Still feeling the effects of the poison?" Avery followed up, lightly pressing down on different areas on his arm while asking.

"No, I'm alright." he took her hand in his. "I promise."

Avery hesitantly pulled her hand away and blushed slightly. "Oh, well, that is good."

Mikey gave a sly grin. "You know, you're kinda cute when you're embarrassed."

That only caused her to blush harder. She quickly headed for the door. "Now that you are feeling better, perhaps it is time we figure out how to get you home."

Mikey froze. He wasn't really thinking about home for the past few days. He was actually enjoying his time here. They didn't have the things that he had back at home, but that didn't really matter. These people had something more important to him than video games, comics or even pizza. They had freedom. The freedom to walk around in the open. It's one of the things Mikey always wanted. He wasn't sure how his brothers felt, but he hoped they felt the same. "Right, I know." he said sadly.

Noticing his demeanor changed, she decided to change the subject. "... Perhaps, for now, you would like to come with me. I want to show you something." their eyes met for a moment before he gave in.

He nodded. "Okay, sure."

They stepped out of the room and went outside. The village was just as lively as ever. Tam-Tam was relaxing by the entrance to the infirmary and only picked his head up when the door opened. Avery gently pat his head and he purred. Mikey took a look around the village and noticed that there was no sign of his brothers. "I wonder where my bros are?"

"Donatello is back inside, helping. And I believe Leonardo and Raphael are with my brother."

"Oh okay."

Avery looked back to the lakra. "Tam-Tam, can you take us to Tandaya?"

Tam-Tam stood and stretched out his limbs. He then crouched down low so Avery and Mikey could climb on his back. Once mounted on his back, Avery gripped the thick silver fur around his neck and he took off down the path into the main forest south of the village. Mikey had never ridden a lakra before so the jostling underneath him was new. In order to keep his balance, he instinctively wrapped his arms around Avery's slim waist. Avery flinched at the sudden contact. She had never been this intimately close with a male before. It was a strange sensation. Having his plated chest rest against her back, his muscular arms wrapped securely around her. She felt her face flush. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Mikey said, keeping his balance.

They kept going like that for a while until they reached a plain. The dense forest thinning out until there was nothing, but tall blue-green grass. Directly in the center was a tree. This tree was different than the rest. It stood taller and wider than all the others. The brown bark swirled upward into many branches. Those branches sprouted hundreds of emerald green vines that reached the ground with pink, yellow and pale blue blossoms growing out of them. Surrounding it was pink-tinged water that was in constant motion.

"Wow, that's a big tree." Mikey commented.

Avery giggled and shook her head. "She is quite a sight, is she not."

"Yeah, you don't see anything like this back on Earth."

"She is not just a tree, you know." she stated. Mikey stayed silent and just listened. "This is one of our goddesses, Tandaya. She breathes life into every living being." she took his hand in hers and led him to the base of the tree. As they got closer, the vines spread apart on their own, making a path for them to come closer to the base. They both stepped over the stream and Avery placed his hand on the bark of the tree. She waited for his reaction.

Mikey's eyes widened when he felt the bark move. "It moved."

Avery gave a knowing smile. "She breathes." she corrected gently.

"Whoa!" He felt every twitch in the bark and the smallest tremors in the ground. "Whoa!" he repeated.

Avery smiled as Michelangelo became so engrossed in what was happening. She clasped her hands together and bowed her head in silent respect to her goddess. When she opened her eyes again to look at Mikey, he was touching different spots of the tree, still enthralled by Tandaya.

She would be lying to herself if she said that she wasn't attracted to him. She wanted to be with someone like Mikey, but how can she be with anyone when she's being forced into a marriage with Kai. He probably wants to return home. She couldn't keep him here.

If they never figure out how to stop Kai, then maybe that would be a blessing in disguise. She wouldn't be able to be with him, but at least she would get to see him. If Kai lets her out of his sight, that is. She shook her head sadly. _That would be selfish. He wants to go home and he should be able to do that._ She looked to him longingly. _But I wish you would stay._

"You know, Avery." Mikey said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I've been thinking. What if I stayed here?"

Avery froze, silently wondering if he could read minds. "What?"

Mikey dropped his hands to his sides and looked to her. "What if I decided to stay here?"

"I- why would you want to?" she answered his question with another question. "You and your brothers come from Earth. That is your home." she stated sadly.

Mikey took a few steps toward her and gently grasped one of her hands. "I can make this my home."

Avery felt the heat rise up in her cheeks. "What about your brothers? Will you leave them behind?"

"Listen, I don't know how my brothers feel about being here, but all I know is that, I'm happy here."

"Even with Kai as our leader."

Mikey winced. "Well, he is a problem, but we'll take care of him." he then shrugged. "Aside from Kai, everything and everyone else is great." he took her other hand. "Honestly, while being here, these have been the happiest days I've had in a while, and part of that... is because of you."

Avery's white skin began turning a bright pink. "Oh... well, you are welcome to stay if you would like." she said as she avoided eye contact.

Mikey placed a finger under her chin and tilted it up so she would look him directly in the eye. "Do you want me to stay here?" he asked, hoping that she would say yes.

"If that is what you want then..."

"It is," he interrupted. "but I asked if you wanted me to stay."

She felt herself getting choked up and a few tears welled up in her round amethyst eyes. "I do. I do want you to stay."

He brushed away the tears rolling down her cheeks with his thumb. "Then I will." he closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. She accepted the embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. Staying like that felt right and neither one of them wanted to let go. This was nothing like when Kai touched her. This was gentle and she felt safe.

They eventually pulled apart and gazed into each other's eyes. Avery reached up, gently touching Mikey's face and guiding it toward her own. Mikey was almost shocked when Avery kissed him, but he sure didn't stop her. Pulling her closer to him, her body melting into his. They wished that they could stay like this forever.


	15. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ne Kuelo Magen= The Great Duel

Avery suddenly gasped and pushed him away, remembering something important.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" Mikey asked.

"No, no, you did not. It is just that..." she paused and turned back toward Tandaya. "What if Kai finds out about us? He will kill you."

"Don't worry about me, Avery. I'll be okay." he took her hand in his and she looked back up at him, eyes welling up with unshed tears. "I promise."

"You cannot promise something like this." Avery said.

"You have to trust me, Avery. Can you do that?" Mikey asked.

Avery only responded by hugging him. "I will trust you."

The sudden sound of Tam-Tam growling startled them. They looked over, passed the thick vines of Tandaya. Tam-Tam was snapping and growling at something perched up in a tree. It had four feathered black legs and sharp talons. It's feathery body sprouting four, jet black wings and two heads, complete with sharp beaks.

"Oh no." Avery said as one of the two heads snapped at the lakra. "It is a shayda. It belongs to Kai or one of his men. We are being watched. One of his men are nearby." Avery began to panic. Her panic became even worse when she saw someone's shadow running off into the forest.

Mikey calmly cupped her face with his hands. "I don't care. Let them watch." he held her close again. "This won't keep me from you."

"He will kill you, Michelangelo." she said worriedly.

Mikey shrugged. "Well, he can try." he said confidently as he watched as the shayda was finally scared off when Tam-Tam got a little too close to it. "We'll be alright. I'll make sure of that."

She looked up to the sky and watched the shayda flee. "I hope you are right, Michelangelo."

Avery and Mikey spent the rest of the afternoon together until the sun had set. As it got darker, small red lights began to dot the air around them as the nightly insects made their way out. They sat down by a stream. Mikey could feel the pulsations beneath him and with each pulse came a blue light. Starting from Tandaya, leading to the ground beneath them, and spreading out as far as the eye can see. The plants and the grass lit up as the pulse passed through, creating a pretty nice light show. One of the red, glowing insects flew close to Mikey, calmly landing on his shoulder for a few seconds before flying away.

"The tashin are very active tonight." she watched as the red insects swarmed together forming patterns against the dark sky.

Mikey gave a content sigh as his fingers intertwined with Avery's. "This is nice." he said as he listened to the different sounds of the forest.

"I wish we could stay like this."

"We'll be able to. Soon." he reassured her.

"How do you stay so positive?" she asked.

"One of my many traits." he said with a sly grin. "My father always said that I was the light during the dark times. I would always be the positive one, the happy one."

"That is a wonderful trait to have, Michelangelo. And your father sounds like a wonderful person." Avery said.

Mikey gave her a sad smile that she could only see when the pulsating blue light passed by them. "He was. He always did what he could to protect me and my bros. To teach us how to survive even though we weren't really his children. He did what he could with the limited supplies and he basically did it alone." Mikey sighed. "I miss him." he took a breath. "Hey, if you don't mind me asking, what about your mother? What happened to her?"

"Oh, I do not really know anything about my mother. She died shortly after giving birth to me. The things I do know are what I learned from my brother and my father."

"I'm sorry, I guess I shouldn't have asked."

"It is okay. I asked about your parents it is only natural that you asked about mine." she calmly leaned her head on his shoulder.

Mikey looked down at her and placed a kiss on top of her head. "Come on, let's get you home."

* * *

Jatari exited Beloose's cell for another day. He had been keeping up the charade with Kai while they planned for Beloose's escape. Feeding him was keeping his strength up until they were ready to come for him. As he made it back up the stairs, he was met by Kai and he did not look happy. "Katu Kai. I have done what you asked. He has been fed and has been eating everything I give him."

Kai remained silent as he glared at the maroon colored man. "I have something else I need from you." he finally said, ignoring the fact that he had finished a task.

"Anything, mir Katu." Jatari said with a bow.

"Avery, bring her to me." he ordered.

Jatari felt his heart sink into his stomach, but he didn't let his emotions show, he couldn't. "May I ask why so soon? The union ceremony is not for a while."

"I have been told that she is getting too close with one of those newcomers. The one called Michelangelo." Kai grouched. "I have moved the union ceremony. It will happen in two nights. She belongs to me."

"But, mir Katu..."

Kai's angry golden gaze met Jatari. "Are you going to question me?"

Jatari gulped. "No, mir Katu. I will bring her to you before then." he said with another bow.

"See that you do."

Jatari quickly made his way away from Kai as he continued forming a plan that would now need to be executed sooner than expected. Kai watched him leave, giving him a suspicious look as he did.

* * *

The next morning Mikey sat up in the bed of one of the spare rooms of the infirmary. Once Avery gave him a clean bill of health he was able to move out of the patient ward to make room for another injured or sick person.

The sun showering warmth over his face was always welcome. He stretched out his limbs and put his gear on. As he was putting his nunchaku in his belt there was a knock at the door. Mikey slid the door open, revealing his brothers on the other side. "Come on, we're meeting at Jatari's place to plan our attack." Leo said.

"Alright, let's go." Mikey followed his brothers out into the village. Crossing the busy dirt paths to Jatari's home, Raph knocked and waited.

Dax answered. "Come in, we have been waiting." he led the four brothers into a room with a table where Jatari and Moba were sitting. When Jatari saw that the turtles had arrived, he spoke gently to his young son. "Moba, go to your room please."

Moba looked to Dax and the turtles before running off to his room. They all sat around the table. "Okay, so what did you find out?" Mikey asked.

"And tell us everything." Dax said in a warning tone. Everyone could tell that Dax still didn't fully trust Jatari.

"I have been meeting with Beloose for days now and he has informed me that the only way to overthrow Kai would be to physically take him down."

Dax sighed. "We already tried that and because of you, we lost many as a result. I also know that Kai has more people following him now as well."

Jatari sighed. "Yes, but Beloose suggested a different approach. He told me of the many secret passages around the palace. Ones that even Kai is not aware of. We could use this to our advantage."

"A sneak attack rather than a frontal assault." Don said.

"Exactly. If we are able to take down at least half of our opponents quickly and quietly that would make the fight with Kai much easier."

"Sounds good to me." Raph said, twirling one of his sai.

"I do not know." Dax rubbed his chin, voice full of trepidation. "Vao are not known for sneaking."

"Don't worry, you leave that part to us." Leo said with a smirk. "Alright Jatari, you've been on the inside more than any of us. Tell us everything you know. All the passages, how many guards we're up against, their patrol routes. Every bit of information helps."

Jatari began explaining all of the passages that Beloose told him about, as well as, the patrol routes of all of Kai's guards. As Jatari was explaining, a plan began to form. Using the secret passage ways, Dax and Jatari's strong senses and the guys' ninja skills, they'll take the longest route to the dungeons where Beloose is being held. "Luckily, the route we will be taking will be filled with guards. We free Beloose and head to the main floor where we will have to let the brothers fight."

"Ne Kuelo Magen?" Dax asked.

"Precisely." Jatari said.

"Ne whatty whatty?" Mikey asked confused.

"Ne Kuelo Magen. The Great Duel. When someone in the royal family needs to be overthrown, someone else within the family will fight them in a duel. There has not been one of these in a long time." Dax explained.

"Because there was never a need for it." Jatari added.

"Until now..." Raph said. "Will this Beloose guy be able to fight?"

"Yes, he is a good fighter. Unlike Kai who uses other people to fight for him." Jatari said.

"That is why he has so many guards, so he does not have to do any work. If we manage to take down most of his forces, he will not have anyone to protect him." Dax added. "As long as Beloose is healthy and strong enough, then he should not have a problem fighting."

"Well, this seems like a good enough plan, as long as everyone does their part." Don said.

"There is one small problem that I have not mentioned." Jatari turned to Dax. "Kai wants me to bring your sister to him."

"What!?" Mikey and Dax exclaimed at the same time.

"He told me that he learned that Michelangelo had gotten very close to her, so he decided to make the union ceremony sooner."

Dax eyed the orange banded turtle. He wasn't angry with him, but he was mildly annoyed at the very least. Their plans would have to be put into motion way sooner because of him. He was also still of the mindset that no one was good enough for his sister. "I am so sorry Dax." Mikey cringed as he made eye contact with those blood red eyes.

Dax sighed. "I am not going to worry about that now." he turned to Jatari. "When does he want her there?"

"Within the next two nights." Jatari answered.

"That does not give us much time."

"Well, then that just means we have to pull this off before then." Leo said.

"You are right." Dax stood up with a new found confidence. "We can still do this." Everyone else nodded in agreement. "Come, we must prepare. We leave tomorrow at dusk."

* * *

Dax, Jatari and the guys began their final bit of preparations. Once those were done, the turtle brothers went back to training. It had been a while since they had done any form of training together. The brothers found a spot in the forest behind the village. It felt good getting back into the swing of things as the brothers practiced their katas. Even Mikey and Leo were on the same page, moving smoothly through each move just like they used to.

Dax arrived around that time, with Avery in tow. They watched as the brothers sparred. Dax was impressed, he had seen two of the brothers fight and train before, but never all together.

Avery stared on in awe as the brothers maneuvered through move after move. Avery mostly kept her eyes on Mikey and his lighter movements. It only made her more attracted to him.

"Michelangelo." Dax finally called out.

Mikey turned to the brother and sister. He took a deep breath before approaching them. "What's going on?"

Dax simply stepped away from them to join the older brothers. "He's still mad at me?" he asked.

"No, he is not." Avery reassured.

"It sure seems like he is." Avery took his hand and pulled him away from the group so they would be out of earshot. "My brother is just worried about me. He has gotten a little more overprotective since Kai moved the union ceremony."

"I get that. This is kinda my fault." he rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly. "I don't blame him."

"Do not blame yourself, Michelangelo. I am just as much at fault." she reached for his hands to hold. "I knew the consequences of getting close to you, and yet, I could not keep myself away." Mikey gently rubbed circles with his thumbs along the backs of her hands. "I have spoken to my brother and I let him know how much you mean to me."

"How did he take it?"

"About as well as you would expect. He is just not used to there being another man in my life that wishes to protect me. He has been my protector for a long time, so it will take some getting used to."

"I guess so." he said. Avery smiled and looked toward the palace on the hilltop. The sun shining down on the structure made it look so serene and so regal. Anyone not familiar with what was happening surely wouldn't know about the darkness looming inside. The thought of anybody going in there terrified her. Mikey wrapped an arm around her. "Don't worry, okay. We'll all be fine and we'll stop Kai."

"I hope so." she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

As much as he wanted to stay like this, he knew he had to get back to his training with his brothers. He pulled away and looked into her shining amethyst eyes. "Head back home." he told her.

She nodded and started to leave, only stopping when she had something else to say. "Michelangelo, promise that you will come back to me."

He gave her his signature grin and a wink. "I promise." and with those final words, they parted ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's about to go down


	16. It's Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eso deska?= Are you okay?
> 
> Rono= old one or old man in this case.
> 
> Lo kalua= I'm sorry
> 
> Ne Kuelo Magen= The Great Duel
> 
> Hunoi= brother
> 
> Io reji tia Ne Kuelo Magen= I challenge you to the Great Duel
> 
> Kusadd= Bastard
> 
> Au'tam= father
> 
> Ayuko= Help me
> 
> Avery, katou zutio= Avery, they hurt her
> 
> Mastiok kano= Kill him
> 
> Leai= no

* * *

This was it. It was the day where they would face off with Kai. Dax, Jatari and the guys met up one final time in part of the woods that separated the village from the palace. The six of them looked up through the canopy of leaves to the shining palace on the hilltop. It was late afternoon by this point and the sun was just starting to set. Jatari anxiously pet his lakra that stood beside him. "Not too long now." he said followed by a heavy sigh.

Dax noticed and felt his anxiousness. "Are you thinking of betraying us again?" he said with a sneer. His underlying fear of being betrayed again slipped out. The guys looked to Jatari as well, worriedly.

"No." he said with a determined gaze. "It is as I said, I will make everything right. I will not cower anymore."

Dax's glare moved back to the palace.

"Everybody ready?" Leo asked.

"More than ready." Mikey's look of determination made his brothers smirk. They, of course, knew what he was really fighting for.

"One last thing before we go." Dax said. As if on cue, Tam-Tam arrived with two other lakras. One Mikey and Don recognized as Tam-Tam's mate. The other was the father of the cubs that Raph and Leo rescued.

Don and Mikey had no trouble walking up to the female lakra and petting her. Leo and Raph, on the other hand, were a little startled, but instantly calmed when the lakra bowed his head to them. "He is going to help us." Dax stated. "He does owe you after you saved his cubs."

"This does make for a good back up plan." Leo said as he and Raph gently pat the lakra.

"Now, we are ready." Dax said.

They all waited as the sun went down. All of them trying to keep themselves busy until the time arrived. Once the sun had fully set. They made their way up the hill with the lakras. The pulsating light from the ground moved by them at a steady pace. As if it was leading them to their destination.

* * *

Back in the village, Avery went about her normal routine of taking care of her patients. Moba sat at one of the tables as he ate what was given to him. Jatari had asked her to watch him while they went to fight Kai. Avery wouldn't let it show as she took care of those in need, but she was extremely worried about them. She wished that they didn't have to risk their lives like this, but if Beloose was truly alive then this is what had to be done. There was no getting around it. She sat down near Moba with a wooden cup filled with water and gently pat him on the head. He looked up at her and gave her a toothy grin.

"Are you doing well, Moba?" Avery asked.

"Yes, Tacura Avery." he responded.

"Wonderful." she smiled gently. It didn't take long for her to start worrying again. She let out a deep sigh.

Moba, ever observant, noticed this. "Do not worry, Tacura Avery. They will come back."

Avery looked back at him and smiled. "I know, you are right." she took a sip of water.

"And then, you and Sukai Mikey can be the ones married."

The sentence caught her off guard and she almost choked. She quickly cleared her throat. She wasn't expecting him to be this observant. Or maybe she and Mikey were making it so obvious that even children knew how they felt.

"Eso deska?" he asked.

"Yes, yes, I am fine." she gulped down the rest of the water before standing up. "I will be right back." she began to make her way to back room. Only to be stopped when four of Kai's men barged into the room.

The villagers in the room began to panic as the guards made a beeline straight for Moba. One of them painfully snatched the child by the arm. Moba gave a terrified cry as they dragged him out of the infirmary. Avery froze in place, she was terrified. _Why are they here? They should not be here._ Avery snapped out of it when she heard Moba cry out for her. "Moba!" as she made her way towards them, another two grabbed her by the arms. They were taking her away too. The folks around them were either too frightened or to injured to do anything about it.

Sowa, hearing a commotion, entered the room and was shocked to see what was happening. "What is the meaning of this?"

"That is none of your concern, rono." one of the guards sneered.

"We need Avery, there are still many injured people that need her care."

The only guard that wasn't holding onto anyone, roughly shoved Sowa aside, his head roughly smacked the wooden wall. "The people here mean nothing to us."

"Sowa!" Avery shouted as they continued to march her outside. She continued to struggle against the grip of the guards. "Release me and Moba!"

Avery wasn't posing much of a threat to the guards, but her constant struggling was a minor annoyance to them. An annoyance that they had no problem silencing. "Enough!" With a swift swipe, the free guard whacked her on the side of the head, knocking her out cold. Moba continued to cry out for the unconscious woman as they dragged both of them out of the infirmary. Villagers that were out at this time could only look on in fear as Avery and a crying Moba were hauled off, hoping that they wouldn't come for them too.

* * *

"Just a bit further." Jatari said to them. "We are going around to the east most wall of the palace."

Once they were up close to the palace, they started sticking to the darkness. They snuck up to the front entrance where about four guards were patrolling. Two were guarding the front entrance and the other two were scouting the perimeter. Jatari began to lead them to the side wall. "Hold on." Leo whispered.

"What? We are not going through the front."

"I know we're not, but the more we take out the better. Wait here." Leo signaled his brothers and they made their way toward the guards. Moving swiftly and quietly in between each of the pulsations to avoid being caught by the light, Leo and Mikey had to sneak up behind the two patrolling guards and cover their mouths as they took them out. While Don and Raph quickly took out the two guarding the door.

Dax and Jatari stood there and watched as close as they possibly could in the darkness, but it was as if they were moving so fast that it seemed like they just disappeared. Before either of the natives knew it the brothers had regrouped with them, the guards unconscious bodies safely hidden. "Amazing." Jatari praised. "How are you able to move like that?"

"Talk about that later, we have something to do remember?" Leo reminded.

"Right." he responded, shaking off his amazement for another time. "Follow me."

Jatari led the way to the wall that Beloose had told him about. Dax looked to the lakras. "Get into position and wait for our signal." the four lakras took off in another direction. "Does everyone remember what to do?"

Everyone else nodded in response. Jatari felt around the wall until he found the loosened brick and pushed it in. As soon as he did that, the wall also gave way, making a passage large enough for them to slip in.

"That seems... unsafe." Don mentioned.

"Indeed." Dax agreed. "Remind me to seal that off when this is all over."

The passage led them to a hallway only lit by lanterns along the wall. Still, there was plenty of shadow for the ninja brothers to work with. They moved swiftly and silently through the hall until they came upon two armed guards, facing away from them. They were making their rounds, as Jatari had said. Using the shadowed areas to their advantage, Leo and Don snuck up behind them, silently took them out and carefully disposed the unconscious bodies in a side room where they also hid to catch their bearings.

They remained silent while Jatari and Dax made sure it was all clear. "We are in the clear." Jatari said.

"For now." Dax added.

"Let's not wait around for someone else to come through." Raph said.

"Agreed." Leo turned to the natives. "Where to next?"

"From where we are now. The throne room should be right above us and the dungeons are directly below us." Jatari explained. "That is where we need to go. There is a path we can take that has more guards patrolling the area."

"Then that's the way we want to take." Don said.

"Lead the way." Mikey said.

They made their way down the long hallway and quickly took down any guard that they saw on the way. Every time someone was spotted, they were swiftly taken out and hidden in spots where they wouldn't alert anyone else that might pass by.

Jatari finally came to a stop in front of the black door leading to the dungeon. He pushed the door open and headed down the spiral staircase. There, Jatari led the team toward the very end of the room, cell doors lined each side of them as they made their way down the hall. Jatari and Dax suddenly stopped them at an intersection. They could sense that there were more than just Beloose down here. Dax took a peek around the corner and at the very end was the cell holding Beloose and it was being guarded. It was the only one being guarded. "That is odd. Kai does not usually have any guards watching the cell." Jatari whispered. "I wonder why that is."

"Unfortunately, we cannot worry about that right now." Dax said. "We need to get them away from there."

"Let me see if I can lure them away." Jatari said. "Be prepared for them to come this way." Jatari stepped out into the open and walked down the hall to the two guards. They stood a little straighter when they saw him. "You may leave him to me. I will keep watch." Jatari said simply.

"Lo kalua, Vao Jatari, but Katu Kai has told us that we are not to leave this area. Not even for you." one of the guards said. "If you have to do anything then you need to do it while we are here."

Jatari flinched. That didn't sound good. "...Very well." he nodded. "Then you leave me no choice." before either of them could respond, he kicked one in the gut. He was knocked out when his head hit the wall. The other didn't have time to react before his face was littered with a series of punches. "Clear." he called out to the group.

The turtles and Dax approached from behind. "I don't know about you guys, but it sounds like Kai might be onto us." Mikey said.

"That is concerning, but we do not have time to think about that." Jatari stated, turning to the stone wall. "He is in here. Dax, keep on look out. Raphael, help me with this door. It is faster with two people."

"No problem." with Raph's help they pushed the stone door inward until it wouldn't move anymore. They then moved it to the side, revealing a tied up Beloose.

The dark blue skinned man looked up. Once he realized who it was, a relieved smile spread across his face. "Jatari and Dax. I am glad to see that you made it." his smile fell slightly to a look of confusion when he saw the four turtle brothers. "And who might you four be?" he asked.

"They are here to help, mir Katu." Jatari assured him.

Beloose nodded. "Very well. Release me so that I may see my brother."

Dax turned to the blue banded turtle. "You think you can cut through these?"

"Yeah, I got it." Leo pulled one sword out while Beloose stood up. The king held his shackled hands out and Leo expertly sliced through the metal cuffs, freeing Beloose's hands as his brothers pulled the two unconscious guards into the cell.

The now free Verterran rubbed his raw wrists. "Thank you." with a determined gaze, he began to leave his stone prison and the prison door was shut behind them. "Come, my brother awaits us." he led the group out of the dungeons.

"Now that we broke you out. What are we doing now?" Don asked.

"Going to the throne room. That is where my brother will most likely be. As I am sure you have been told, I must defeat my brother in a duel. Ne Kuelo Magen."

Jatari stopped the young king with a hand on his shoulder. "Katu Beloose, you know as well as I about what awaits when you challenge him."

"Jatari is right. You know he will use his guards against you." Dax added.

"I am fully aware of that. That is what you are there for." he turned to the six fighters. "You cannot interfere with our fight, but neither can they. So when they do, I will trust you can take care of them to the best of your ability." he said. "His forces are many so I do not expect you to be able to stop all of them, but if you can limit the amount of interference that would help me greatly. My brother likes to pretend as if he is this great being, but when faced with a physical task such as this, he falters. I always was the better fighter."

"Very well, we will do what we can, mir Katu." Jatari bowed.

"Excellent, now let us go."

All seven of them made their way back up the spiral staircase. All the way to the top floor. Jatari and Dax led the way, only stopping when there were other guards nearby that needed taking care of. "How many of these guys are there?" Mikey asked.

"Believe me, there are plenty more." Jatari noted. "But we have taken down at least half of his forces."

"It will have to do for now." Beloose stopped in front of massive, ornate double doors. "Because we are here." he pushed the doors open, leading to the throne room. There he was, perched on the throne, at least six guards on either side of him with that same sly smile across his face. "Hunoi, Io reji tia Ne Kuelo Magen." he stated in his native tongue.

Kai stared down at the small band of warriors and simply laughed. "Oh Beloose, you have decided to join us." he stood up from his throne, the smug smile never leaving his face. "And Jatari, switching sides again, are we?"

"We are here to stop you Kai." Dax stated. With a fierce red glare.

"You may try, but I guarantee that you will not succeed." he picked up a small mallet and hit a small gong like instrument. Dozens more guards emerged, coming to their king's aid. Kai looked around him and concern flashed across his face for a second as he noticed that there weren't nearly as many guards as usual.

"What is the matter?" Beloose taunted. "You seem concerned about something."

Kai's eyes locked with that of his brother. "I am not concerned at all. For you are still outnumbered."

He was right about that, but they couldn't back down now. "This fight is between the two of us, brother."

"...Very well." Kai shrugged. He stepped down from the dais, removing his large headdress and handing it off to one of his guards. "If we must. You will not win."

"We shall see." Beloose said, confidently getting ready for a fight.

"Yes, we shall." Kai's guards began to surround the brothers, leaving the turtles, Dax and Jatari out.

"I don't like the looks of this." Don said.

"This is how Ne Kuelo Magen is conducted. It keeps any outside interference from happening." Dax explained.

"Right, but the only problem this time is that the outside interference is going to come from them." Leo noted.

"Precisely," Jatari nodded. "Keep your eyes on the guards. They surely will attempt something. When that happens, we will stop them." Jatari said, keeping a hand hovering over his sheathed ax.

The two brothers circled each other each waiting for the other to try something. Kai was the first to strike, going in for a swift punch... or at least he tried. Beloose smoothly dodged, grabbed his brother's wrist and planted a swift powerful palm strike to the jaw. Kai fell back, clutching his jaw. He glared up at his brother and Beloose smiled back. Kai stood up and went to attack him again. This time the younger brother caught him in the gut with a knee. The older brother crumpled, trying to catch his breath. He stood up again and shouted. "Kusadd!"

"No need for that, brother." Beloose smirked.

Kai growled, already getting annoyed. He stood up. "Guards!" he ordered. One of the surrounding guards shoved Beloose forward right into the fist of his older brother.

"And there it is." Raph said.

"That sure didn't take long." Mikey added.

Raph, who was already itching for a fight, was the first one in, getting the rest of the guard's attention. The guard turned to the red clad turtle, spear at the ready. He was quickly disarmed and knocked out. The other guards witnessed this and began attacking, abandoning the barrier around the brothers. "Your brother definitely knows how to get the attention of others." Jatari said.

"Tell me about it." Leo sighed.

Dax ran in, gauntlets on and fists flying into the face of one guard. He ducked out of the way as a spear flew over his head. That guard was swiftly taken out by Jatari with a flying knee to the side of the head. Dax looked to him and then quickly looked away, still not fully trusting him. Both vao ran into the fray of guards.

Leo's swords sliced through their weapons like butter. Kicking and striking at everyone that came at him. Mikey made sure to aim low when attacking to keep him out of the way of the sharp spears. Raph used his sais to disarm so he could get in close. Don's bo staff was a blur as he twirled it, taking out anyone coming his way.

Kai could only watch as the number of conscious guards began to dwindle. Beloose on the other hand was feeling quite satisfied. He didn't let his guard down, however. "What do you say we continue this fight. Now that it is just us." he smirked.

Kai growled and suddenly tackled his brother to the ground. Beloose brought his arms up to block his face as Kai punched furiously. Beloose, suddenly, grabbed one of his brothers arms to stop the barrage and managed to kick his brother off of him. Before Kai could stand up and prepare himself, his younger brother was on him, throwing a series of punches and kicks that Kai could not block. "Give up Kai. There is no longer need for this. You have lost." Kai growled and wiped the blood that was dripping from his mouth from one of Beloose's clean punches. Kai looked around, watching as his guards were being taken out one by one. "You see brother, it is about the quality of the fighter. Not the quantity."

Kai sneered at his brother before a smile formed on his lips, he had something else up his sleeve. "This is not over, brother." he backed away, heading back up the dais to grab a mallet. With a swift smack, he hit the small gong like instrument again. A reasonable amount of guards revealed themselves, two of them were holding onto a struggling Moba and an unconscious Avery.

"Au'tam!" Moba cried out to his father. "Ayuko!" tears were running down his face. "Avery, katou zutio."

Jatari froze in his spot, hearing his son's voice. "Moba!"

Dax turned and noticed his sister being held hostage. "Avery!"

Hearing Dax's yell, Mikey turned to look at what was happening. What he saw made his blood boil. She was hunched over in the guard's arms, unmoving. He didn't know what they did to her, but he was livid. "Now, brother, if you would be so kind as to tell your fighters to put their weapons down or else, I'll have these two killed and I know how much you despise putting your people in any danger."

"Always fighting fairly." Beloose stated sarcastically. He turned to the six warriors fighting for him, signaling them to put down their weapons.

"I am fighting to win."

Dax took off his gauntlets and tossed them on the ground before meeting the eyes of the turtle brothers. He gave them a nod. Leo was the first to put his swords down. Keeping them as close to him as possible. His brothers did the same. Jatari was the last to put his weapon down, keeping his eye on his little boy and not noticing one of the nearby guards picking up his ax.

Kai pointed towards Jatari with a smirk on his face. "Mastiok kano."

Beloose's eyes widened as he heard the order. "No!" but it was too late. The guard that had picked up his weapon swung the ax down into his body. Jatari's body didn't seem to completely register what had happened at first. He definitely felt the sharp pain in his back, but it was like his body had a delayed response. Collapsing to his knees, the guard pulled the ax out. Jatari's body fell forward, a lot of blood spilling from the massive wound on his back. And it happened right in front of his own son.

"Father!" Moba's desperate scream reached the ears of all the adults. Tears rolling down his face as he continually tried to call out to his unresponsive father. "Leai! Au'tam!"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo, Kai's a dick.


	17. The End Result

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kisino= Murderer
> 
> Hunai= sister

* * *

Dax's eyes narrowed toward the false king.

"That will teach him to betray me."

"Kisino!" Beloose shouted. Before he could reach his brother, two of Kai's guards blocked him. "You will not get away with this."

"It is starting to look like I will."

One of the guards used the blunt end of his spear and shoved it into Beloose's gut. He fell to his knees as he attempted to catch his breath. The two guards held him up by his arms and Kai stood over him ready to strike him down. "Dax, now's a good time for the back up plan." Leo whispered.

Dax broke his death stare with Kai and nodded. Sticking two of his fingers into his mouth, he let out a shrill whistle. It took a couple of seconds, but soon several roars could be heard from what felt like very far away. Kai, startled by the noise, was momentarily distracted right before Tam-Tam, Karsi and the two other lakras rushed in. Making the already chaotic scene way more bloody as the lakras' claws, teeth and horns dug through the armor and flesh of the guards. Kai backed away as his guards were taken out at a much faster rate than before.

Mikey reacted quickly and picked up his nunchaku, without another word he sprinted towards Moba and Avery. While his brothers and Dax continued fending off guards. He slid underneath one of the pouncing lakras and took out two guards on the way over with a jumping split kick. The guards holding onto Moba and Avery began to sweat a little bit as the orange banded turtle made a beeline toward them. That momentary distraction gave the squirming child an out. He managed to free one of his wings and smack the guard holding onto him in the face.

Moba was released right before Mikey came in with a flying ax kick. The guard holding onto Avery backed away as he placed the sharp end of a knife on Avery's neck, threatening to cut her throat open. Without any hesitation, Mikey tossed a shuriken at him, catching him right in the shoulder that he had left wide open. Dropping his knife and Avery to clutch at his injured shoulder. Mikey moved in, caught Avery before she hit the floor and then kicked down the guard.

Avery began to stir around that time. Finally waking up to see all the chaos going on, she looked up into Mikey's face and she suddenly became aware that he was carrying her. "Hey there, pretty lady." he said with a flirtatious wink.

"Michelangelo, what is going on?' she asked with a blush. "Why am I here?"

"Kai brought you here. Kidnapped you and Moba." Mikey explained as he helped her stand on her own two feet. "Do you feel okay?"

Avery rubbed her head. "Yes, I believe so."

Mikey breathed a sigh of relief. "Good." Mikey turned when he heard the battle cry of another guard heading right for them. He pushed Avery and Moba behind him and whacked his weapon away with his nunchaku and kicked him down the steps of the dais.

Meanwhile, back in the fray. Some of Kai's guards had managed to lasso some chains around the neck of one of the lakras. He gave out an annoyed roar as he tried to free himself from the chains. Leo saw this and called out to his brother. "Raph!"

Raph took down two more guards before he followed his older brother to the lakra. Leo quickly sliced through the thick chains with ease and Raph took them out with swift punches and kicks. Leo unraveled what remained of the chains from the lakras neck. "Are you okay?"

The cubs' father gave a happy chuff as thanks. He then pushed the brothers aside and with a swipe of one of his paws, he took out another guard that was attempting to sneak up on them. "I guess that makes us even." Raph said.

Dax plowed through another few guards, punching and kicking with newfound ferocity. He took a look around and saw that Kai's forces were coming in less frequently. Some were even running away, a sign that Kai was running out of guards. Dax made his way to Jatari. He hadn't moved since he was struck down. Karsi stayed nearby, whimpering next to him. He needed help and he needed it soon. "Jatari! Wake up Jatari!" he still didn't move. "Donatello!" he called to the nearest brother.

Donnie pole vaulted over to him. Taking out another guard with his bo staff once he landed. "Help me carry him away from here."

"Right." Don ducked down to wrap one of Jatari's arms around his shoulders and Dax took the other. They carefully maneuvered him away from the chaos of the fight and brought him over to Avery and Mikey where it was mildly safer.

"Hunai, do you think you can help him?" Dax asked.

Avery looked over the condition of Jatari's body. There was a large gaping wound on his back and his chaltiga was soaked in blood. His maroon colored skin was starting to become paler. She then looked to Moba who had started crying all over again at seeing his father close up. "I will do what I can."

"Michelangelo-"

"Don't worry. I'll protect them." he answered without letting him finish.

Dax nodded gratefully and headed back in to fight with Don. The steady flow of Kai's guards slowed down to a trickle. Barely any were coming in and barely any of them were left standing. They were so close to winning.

Beloose noticed this and took the opportunity to go after his brother, who was trying to make himself scarce. Beloose looked up at the two guards with a knowing smile. Before they could react, Beloose wrapped his tail around the ankle of one of them and pulled his leg from under him, causing him to fall on his stomach. One arm released, he stood up and punched the other in the face. He then kicked him in the knee causing him to drop down low enough to get kneed in the head, knocking him out cold. He hastily snatched the spear from the unconscious guard, spun around and whacked the other one across the face so hard that the end broke off.

Kai tried to sneak by the fighting as his guards were taken out. Anger bubbling within him as he knew he was losing this fight. _This was not how it was supposed to happen. Why did this happen?_ He had to get out of there. He was so close to freedom when a thought crossed his mind. _This happened because of those newcomers. It is their fault. They have taken everything from me. My power, my throne._ He looked to the people huddled in the corner and suddenly his unjustified need for vengeance stopped from running while he could. Avery was doing all she could to save Jatari's life while Moba looked on with tears in his eyes. Mikey was fending off any stragglers that got too close to them. He had just took one down with his weapons when he noticed Kai there, glaring at him. The orange banded turtle sent a glare right back, readying himself. "And you," Kai sneered while picking up a discarded spear off the ground. "YOU TOOK MY WOMAN!" he sprinted toward Mikey, aiming to take another life, but the more experienced fighter was prepared.

Mikey ran toward him, dodging out of the way of the spear. He wrapped his nunchaku around Kai's wrist, flipped over him and threw him halfway across the throne room. Kai landed right at the feet of his younger brother. "Come now, brother. This duel is not yet over."

By this point the remaining guards had been taken out, so Dax, Raph, Leo, Don, Mikey and the three remaining lakras stood behind him. He knew he had lost, but he had another ace up his sleeve. "B-brother, please. Spare me." he begged on his hands and knees.

"And why should he?" Raph asked, sais at the ready.

Kai's eyes turned to the red banded turtle and scowled. "This is not a discussion I will have with a commoner. This is between my brother and I." Raph growled and took a step forward, only being stopped by Leo's hand on his shoulder. Kai was only looking to appeal to his soft hearted brother. He knew that with everything he has done, he could be put to death. "Please Beloose, I promise that I will never do something like this again. You can have the throne back, just please, spare me." he continued begging.

Beloose couldn't stand to look at him. He was begging for his life, but he was sure that when others were doing the same he showed no mercy. Why should he receive something he could not give? And yet, when he looked at him all he saw was his brother. Even after everything he did and how he had treated him growing up, he was still his brother, he was still blood. But the things that he heard about through Jatari cannot be forgiven. So, as king, he had to do what needed to be done...but he couldn't. With a sigh, he finally spoke. "Dax."

"Mir Katu." Dax responded.

"Take him to a cell until I figure out what to do with him." Beloose ordered.

"As you wish." Dax stepped forward and grabbed onto one of Kai's arms. Kai immediately began to struggle.

"Get your filthy hands off me." Kai snarled.

Dax only responded by twisting his arm behind his back. "Do not make this more difficult for yourself than it needs to be." Dax growled right back. "Raphael, I could use the assistance."

Raph cracked his knuckles with a grin. "Gladly." he latched onto Kai's other arm. "Let's go, ya fake."

As Raph and Dax led Kai back down to the dungeons. Beloose got a look around at the mess and bodies strewn about. Also Avery and Moba were huddled in a corner as Avery continued to try to help Jatari. "We will need to move all of these bodies, but Jatari must be taken care of. Saving him is a priority."

"I can watch them. Make sure none of them escape if they wake up." Leo offered.

"Thank you." he walked over to the small group in the corner. "Avery, is he still alive?"

"...He is and I have only slowed down the bleeding. He needs help. I do not know if he will make it back to the village for proper treatment in this condition."

Beloose could not let him die. "Come, we can carry him to a room so you can use what supplies I have there."

Mikey and Don both lifted him up, careful not to jostle him more and followed Beloose to a spare room. Placing him down on the box bed, Beloose moved to retrieve the medical supplies hidden away in another room. "Will these suffice, Avery?"

"Ah, yes. Donatello, will you help?"

Don nodded. "Of course." with Don's help they began working on getting Jatari stable.

Mikey made sure to keep Moba occupied outside of the room. He felt that no child should have to see their father suffer. Moba was more than happy for the distraction. Karsi sat patiently outside the door with them, whimpering every once in a while.

* * *

Down in the dungeons, Dax had let Raph hold onto Kai while he opened the door. Due to Kai's slightly scrawny stature, it was quite an easy feat. Every time Kai would struggle, Raph would just wrench his arm even more, causing him to yell out and swear in Avati.

"I'm sorry, did that hurt?" Raph asked sarcastically.

"Enjoy this while you can, commoner." Kai sneered.

Dax pushed the stone door open. "Something tells me that I will be enjoying this for a long time." Raph forcefully shoved Kai into his cell. With Dax's help, they chained Kai to the wall and left. Dax shut the door behind them as Kai yelled out angrily.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this story is almost done. The next chapter is the last and then it's on to the sequel.


	18. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Silema= Be quiet or Shut up
> 
> Hunoiso mai hunaiso= Brothers and sisters
> 
> Io mogresa= I have returned
> 
> Mir Katu= My King
> 
> Io soti= I am
> 
> Au'tam= father

* * *

Once Jatari was stable, the guys went about putting the other guards in cells. Only a few of them woke up and tried to escape when they thought they weren't being watched. Unfortunately for them, they were surrounded by very dangerous lakras and a ninja turtle with swords.

They were only able to fully let their guards down when all of Kai's guards were securely locked away. Beloose could now return to his throne where he belonged.

Beloose disposed of the gaudy looking crown that Kai had been wearing, as well as, his necklace and he retrieved the items that the king was supposed to wear and put them on. He changed out of his tight, black prisoner shorts and put on his wide legged white pants, draped the white capelet over his right shoulder. On the back of the capelet was a green circle with the white tree symbol in the middle of it. The same one on the vao's chaltiga. He placed the real crown on his head. It was less gaudy then what Kai was wearing. This one was white and fitted perfectly with the shape of his head. It was adorned with colorful feathers and sparkling jewels. Very simple and still regal. The last thing he retrieved was his golden staff. It was about as tall as he was with a ring at the top. Four columns of linked mini hoops hung underneath the larger ring, jingling every time he moved it. He felt right back in his element.

The guys and Dax all stood around in the throne room where the battle had taken place.

"So, that takes care of your little king problem. Now what?" Raph asked.

"For us? There is nothing left to do..." Dax climbed the dais to the throne. He grabbed the small sphere shaped container that sat next to it. Opening it up, revealed the green gems that got the turtle brothers here in the first place. "Except to send you back home."

The guys fell silent when he said this. Although they weren't here long, the days that they spent here really impacted them. They'd be lying to themselves if they said they didn't want to stay at least a little bit. The people they've met, the things they've done and just the world itself was something that they could get used to if they did stay. This world was much better suited for a mutant.

"You seem hesitant. Is this not what you wanted?" Dax said, mostly talking to Leo. "You said Earth was your home."

"I know I did..." Leo started, feeling conflicted. Could they really leave everything and everyone behind back home? Could they be happy here?

Before Leo could think of what to say, Mikey voiced what his brothers were probably thinking. "Maybe this is just me, bros, but I kind of want to stay here."

"Gee, I wonder why?" Raph chuckled, referring to Avery. The oldest brothers joined in for the laugh.

Mikey shook his head good naturedly. "Ha ha, very funny. I'm serious guys. This is something that I've kinda been thinking about. Even if Avery wasn't here, I still think I'd want to stay here." Mikey explained. "This life, being able to walk around freely without being judged is the exact reason why I came up with the Turtle Titan gimmick in the first place. To help people without hiding. We can do that here. Don't act like you guys haven't been thinking about it."

"Alright, yeah, maybe." Don said. "But what about your video games, comics and pizza. Are you willing to give that all up?"

Mikey smiled as he thought about Avery. "Yeah, I think I am." he shrugged.

"You know, it is not as if you have to abandon your home completely." Dax explained as he pulled out one of the gemstones. "If you feel homesick, you can always visit using one of these."

"Alright, but what exactly would we do here?" Raph asked.

Someone had cleared their throat behind them. "Perhaps I can assist you all with that." Beloose spoke, now looking regal in his new getup. Dax, back into guardian mode, immediately bowed to him.

"Dahwey, Dax." Beloose groaned. "It is just us. There is no need for the formalities."

Dax chuckled and stood up straight. "You are right." with the conflict over, Dax felt relaxed, more relaxed than ever. He marched over to the king and brought him in for a hug. "I am glad you are okay."

Beloose was shocked at being brought in for a hug so suddenly, but snapped out of it and hugged his childhood friend right back. "I did not realize that you missed me that much."

"Of course I did. I thought you were dead." he said as he let him go.

Beloose smirked. "Aye, did you cry? I believe you cried." he teased while poking his friend in the ribs with his gold staff.

Dax pushed the staff away and punched Beloose in the arm. "Silema!" he turned away from him, crossing his arms, now only mildly embarrassed.

The guys only snickered at the two reunited friends. That caught the attention of the young king. He turned to the four turtle brothers while rubbing his now sore arm. "I apologize, but with all the chaos that has happened here on this night, I never learned your names."

"Leonardo." the leader spoke up and introduced his younger brothers. "Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo."

Beloose nodded, putting a face to each name. "Well, since the passing of my vao, I am now in need of new ones. An unfortunate circumstance, however, it does breed a possible opportunity for you."

Dax realized what he was saying. "Beloose, are you suggesting that they become your guardians."

"I am. You are formidable fighters. I would not have been able to do this without any of you. It is your decision to make." Beloose explained. "Just know that the option is there for you if you so choose."

"Well guys, what do you say? I've made my decision, but we've been together so long, I'd hate to separate now."

Raph was the first to voice his opinion. "Okay, I'm in."

"Me too." Don said after a while.

The three youngest looked to the oldest. "Alright, I guess we're moving." Leo smiled and shrugged. The younger brothers cheered.

"Wonderful. Dax, I entrust them to you. Teach them our ways." Beloose ordered.

Dax simply nodded and turned to them. "We can get started tomorrow. It has been a long night."

"I am sure you are all pretty exhausted so, you can stay here and rest." Beloose offered. "Rather than trek back down the hill to the village."

"That is much appreciated." Dax said. "Come with me." he led the guys out of the throne room and down a long corridor lined with doors. Dax stopped in front of each door as he let each brother into their temporary rooms.

All except Mikey, that is. "Um, Dax. Is it okay if I talk to you?"

Dax stood a little straighter and peered at Mikey with his blood red eyes. He knew that he wanted to talk about Avery and how much he cared about her, but Dax was still very protective of his younger sister. He had always been her protector, the one that she could come to if she was upset.

But he also couldn't deny that Mikey made her happy. And, honestly, that's all he could ask for. "Of course, Michelangelo. What do you need to talk about?"

"Well, it's about me and Avery."

Dax smirked. "As I expected."

"Listen Dax, first I just want to apologize for putting your sister in that situation in the first place. If Kai hadn't found out about us then he probably wouldn't have kidnapped her and brought her here."

"Do not put all of the blame on yourself, Michelangelo. You are only part of the reason why she was brought here. The main reason for what he did was for control. He wanted to use her and Moba to keep us from fighting. It would have worked had we not had a contingency plan"

"I guess you're right." Mikey rubbed the back of his head. "Dax, you have to know that I do care about her, a lot."

"...I know. I cannot deny that fact. You make my sister happy and that is all I could ever ask for." Dax said. "She has been through so much, dealing with Kai. It is nice to know that there is a man that actually cares about her." Mikey looked him in the eye and breathed a sigh of relief. Dax placed a hand on his shoulder. "Go to her." Dax left him alone and went to his temporary room.

Mikey headed off to where he knew Avery was. He knocked on the door and let himself in.

Avery sat at Jatari's bedside, monitoring him. He was sleeping on his side to keep from aggravating his injury and Moba had curled up right next to him. Karsi curled up on the floor beside the bed, only picking her head up when the door opened. "Avery." Mikey called out gently.

Avery turned away from Jatari's sleeping form and smiled at the man at the door. She stood up to meet him. They stood right outside the door, leaving it open partially in case Jatari needed something. They stood their staring at each other for a while, letting the comfortable silence wash over them and as if there was something pulling them together, they embraced. "I am so glad that you are okay."

"Hey, I told you not to worry, didn't I?" he said as they pulled apart.

"That you did." Avery let out a giggle. "Now what will you do?"

"I already told you that I wanted to stay here with you."

"But what of your brothers?"

"My bros are going to stay here too. I may have convinced them."

Avery beamed, bouncing slightly as she hugged him again. "That is wonderful, Michelangelo! I would not want you to be separated from your family. Not even for me."

Mikey placed a gentle kiss on top of her head. "Now I won't have to be."

* * *

After a few days had gone by, the guys, Beloose and Dax took the path back down the hill toward Ithri. Beloose had sent Dax out to the other two villages ahead of time to let them know that there was going to be an announcement. When they arrived back down to the village there were more people than usual, people that the guys hadn't seen before. "Wow, big turnout." Mikey stated.

"Indeed." Dax nodded.

When all the villagers saw Beloose there were plenty of shocked gasps and confused murmurs. They had all assumed he was dead. Beloose walked through the middle of town and the crowd of people parted like the red sea. Hopping up on the short wooden slab that Dax had set up earlier so everyone could see him, he began to speak. "Hunoi mai hunai. Io mogresa." without any hesitation all of the villagers began cheering. Beloose raised a hand, silencing them. He continued giving his speech in English. "I have taken my brother off the throne and have him locked away for good." he turned to the guys and Dax. "And I have these brave warriors to thank for that. Without them and Vao Jatari it would not have been possible and I would not be here." he paused for a second as the crowd chatted among themselves. It was only natural after hearing that Jatari had helped. They had seen him as a traitor, after all.

Beloose let the thought brew for a moment before he started speaking again. "As I understand, these four were newcomers to this world and they did everything they could to help us even when they did not have to. Since coming here, they have decided to stay here among us, among our people and I expect you to treat them as such. For these four newcomers, these four warriors shall be my new vao. They shall be the start as I slowly rebuild what was lost. So be sure to learn their names, remember their faces because they will be our new protectors."

There was silence for a few moments, before raucous cheers emanated from the crowd. The crowd suddenly swarmed on the guys, which was unexpected for them. Given hugs and pats on the shoulder, people were crying tears of joy as they were finally free from Kai's tyranny. The guys were thrown off completely, not being used to the gratitude of the people that they saved. At least, not to this level, but they couldn't deny that it felt good.

* * *

Later on in the day, as everyone had dispersed, Avery, Moba, and a recovering Jatari, who had rode in on Karsi, met up with the others in the village. Jatari climbed off Karsi's back and heavily leaned up against the wall of the infirmary, trying to avoid the wound on his back. "Do you really think you should be up and about right now?" Don asked.

"I will be alright Donatello. I will heal." he winced as the slightest movements sent a sharp pain through his body.

"You need rest, Jatari." Avery sighed.

"I will rest... soon."

Avery gave a frustrated sigh toward the stubborn Verterran. "Very well." she moved to stand near Mikey and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Nati exited the infirmary with a smile on her face as she spotted Avery. Without hesitation, she ran in and hugged her friend. "I am so glad that you are okay." Nati said. The sound of her talking caught everyone off guard.

"Nati, you are speaking?" Avery asked with an excited smile.

Nati nodded with the biggest smile on her face. "Yes," she turned to the fighters. "I have to thank the heroes of the village."

"Heroes is a bit much." Raph said.

"But you are and not just to me. Everyone in the village sees you as heroes." she excitedly hugged each of them making sure to say thank you to each.

Leo scratched the back of his head. "This is going to take some getting used to."

Nati's hug to Don lasted a little bit longer than with the others. She realized what she was doing and let him go as quickly as possible, looking embarrassed. Don did too. That didn't stop his brothers from noticing though as they chuckled.

Dax shook his head at all of them. "One of the first things we will have to take care of is finding you a home."

"We have to build that on our own right?" Mikey asked.

"Yes, but do not worry. I will help you, of course."

"In the meantime, you can still stay in the spare rooms of the infirmary." Avery offered.

"You can take my home and add to it." Jatari said suddenly.

Everyone looked to the injured man leaning up against the infirmary. "What do you mean? What about you?" Leo asked.

Jatari shrugged. "I am leaving here."

This new information took everyone by surprise. "What? Where are you going?"

"I am going to a different territory." Jatari said. "After everything I have done. I feel I should no longer be here."

"I have forgiven you, Jatari." Dax said.

"I know you have, but others have not." he looked off to a group of villagers huddled a few feet away from them. Everyone else followed his gaze, the little group was whispering among each other and aiming dirty looks in Jatari's direction. "I know that what I have done cannot and will not be forgiven by some and I have accepted that. What I did caused the death of many in this territory and I do not think that even helping you will fix the way people see me. So I must go, and hope that others have not found out about what I did."

"You do not have to do this." Beloose said.

"I apologize, but I have made up my mind, mir Katu. I have redeemed myself with you and that is all that matters to me." he said. "I believe it will be best for your image, as well. If people see that you are keeping someone who betrayed you as your vao. They may lose respect for you. It is best for all of us, if I leave."

Dax stepped toward him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure about this?"

"Io soti." he followed suit and placed his hand on Dax's shoulder. "Do not worry about me. I will be alright." he tried standing a little straighter, but the movement caused him to wince in pain.

Moba gasped as he saw the pain his father was in. "Au'tam!"

Avery and Nati were on either side of him in an instant. "Come, let us take you inside to rest." with support from the two women, he made his way into the infirmary. Moba followed.

Dax turned back to the brothers. "It seems that your home will be taken care of."

"That makes things so much easier." Raph said.

"Aye, it does. Now, a few more things. Follow me." Dax led their little group out of the village and headed down south, deep into the forest. It was a bit of a trek, but it wasn't a problem for any of them. The guys, still new to this world focused on the new foliage and creatures that popped out. The purple feathered head of a bird-like creature popped up. It ran out of the bushes, eyeing the people curiously with its four beady eyes. It's long legs and short wings forced it to stay on the ground and run if a threat was near. Seeing no actual threat, it squawked and pranced away followed by three of its babies.

Dax stopped in the middle of the denseness of the forest. "First thing, I have to show you something." he then let out two short whistles. Tam-Tam, along with two other lakras stepped out of the brush. The guys immediately recognized them as the other lakra that helped them fight off Kai's men. Tam-Tam walked up to Dax and nuzzled up next to him. Tam-Tam's mate and the father of the cubs approached the guys. Eyeing them, curiously. It was like they were judging them. After a while, they stepped aside revealing four lakra cubs huddled behind them. For Leo and Raph, the cubs they had saved hopped around happily around their legs. The cubs that Don and Mikey went to visit, did the same.

"Hey, little buddy!" Mikey greeted as he picked up the gray lakra with red eyes. Giving him a good scratch under the chin.

The gray cub with the white circular patch on its side practically jumped into Don's arms and happily licked his face.

"What's this about, Dax?" Leo asked as he picked up the all black cub with golden eyes and gave it an affectionate pat.

"Since you plan on staying here and becoming a vao. You will need a lakra of your own. The parents of these cubs feel that you will be great companions for their children."

"Cool." Raph said as he scooped up the cub with white paws and golden eyes. The cub made itself comfortable on his shoulders.

"It will take some time for them to grow, but when they do" he gave Tam-Tam a pat on the neck. "They become your most loyal friends. Let us continue on. Bring them along." Dax continued through the thick forest.

The guys bowed to the lakra before leaving with the cubs in tow.

They continued to make their trek through the thick forest until it opened up to the wide plains with the massive willow tree standing right at the center. Mikey had already seen Tandaya, but his brothers were just as amazed as Mike was when he first saw it. "This is Tandaya. This is who I told you about." Dax said as he approached the enormous tree. Everyone else followed him and the green vines spread apart letting them through. They stepped over the pink tinged stream before reaching the base of the tree. The tremors were a lot stronger here than anywhere else. "Raphael, you once asked me how I can see things she can, but others cannot."

"Right?"

"Are you ready to truly find out how that happens." before taking the four intricately designed wooden bowls from Beloose and handing them off to each of the guys. They put the lakras down so they could take the bowls from him.

"Okay, I'll bite. How?"

"In order to gain this power, you must first go and see her in Moraya."

"And how do we do that?" Don asked skeptically. He still wasn't really buying the whole 'our goddess is real' thing yet.

Dax pointed at the stream. "You must drink the essence of Tandaya."

"The essence?" Leo asked.

"Yes, this is no ordinary stream. This will give you the power that the vao have, if she allows it, of course."

The guys hesitated. Don looked back up at the massive tree. "Out of morbid curiosity, what if she doesn't allow it."

"If, for whatever reason, she does not see you as worthy then nothing will happen as a result. If she sees you as unworthy and also senses a darkness within you, then she will kill you." Beloose explained.

"Oh... wonderful." Raph stated sarcastically.

"It may seem harsh, but it does keep people like my brother from acquiring power like this. Kai would not be foolish enough to even approach Tandaya. He values his life too much." Beloose said.

"Do not worry. Normally, when someone is to become a vao there are trials that one must go through to prove they are worthy, but you have done more than enough for all of us. For people that you did not know, for people that you did not have to help. I would not bring you here if I thought that you were not worthy of her power. She would not have let you approach her if she felt that you were not worthy." Dax explained. "I believe, that she will accept you, as we all have."

Mikey was the brave brother that stepped forward first. Dipping the wooden bowl into the stream, filling it up. His older brothers followed suit. They looked down at the bowls filled with the pink tinged fluid, physically and mentally preparing themselves for whatever was about to happen. "Alright, here goes nothing." Mikey said. They brought the bowls to their mouths and chugged down the liquid. It was bitter tasting. Once they drank the last bit of it, they noticed that things had changed.

They looked around them as they were surrounded by whiteness. They were still in the forest, that much they could tell, but Dax and Beloose weren't there and the surrounding area was covered in fog. The tree form of Tandaya wasn't there either.

"I guess we made it to Moraya." Don said, getting a good look at his surroundings.

"Looks like it." Leo responded, unsure of what to do next.

It wasn't long before the ground beneath them began to quake. The ground cracked as a woman began to emerge from the ground. The guys instinctively backed away. She towered over them, standing as tall as her tree form had. Brown skin that looked wooden, like the bark of a tree. Her light green hair fell in waves over her shoulders. The woman stood there, her pale green, cat like eyes staring down at the four brothers. Her flowing emerald green dress fluttered in the wind. The bodice was made up of green leaves, while the skirt, made of green vines with pink, yellow and pale blue blossoms growing out of them, only came to her knees in the front and was longer and billowing in the back. Green beaded bracelets hung from the wrist of all four of her arms.

"Whoa." Raph muttered, looking upward.

"I'm gonna take a guess and say that you're Tandaya?" Mikey asked her directly.

She never said a word back, she only nodded.

A ball of white energy formed in each of her branch like hands, the swirling energy turned to a light sky blue. She smiled, seeming happy by the color change. She knelt down, bringing her hands down to their level.

Still unsure, Leo asked. "Do we just touch it?"

She responded with another nod. Stepping forward, the brothers reached out to the swirling blue energy. They felt a warm, tingling sensation as the energy enveloped them. There was a bright flash and suddenly they were back in the living world. This process only took a few seconds in reality and when they came out of it they were suddenly exhausted and out of breath despite not really doing anything. Still feeling that tingling sensation all throughout their bodies. "Well, how do you feel?" Dax asked as he approached the brothers.

"Tired." Leo started and looked down at his hand.

Dax grinned. "Well, that is fair. Anything else?" he asked.

"It's weird, but I do feel a bit..." Don started.

"Different." Mikey finished.

"And... did you see her?" Beloose asked.

"A giant lady with like four arms, yeah." Raph mentioned.

Dax smiled. "That is a good sign."

"Good." Don said as he leaned heavily against Tandaya. "She did take a lot out of me though."

"Yes, but do not worry. You will gain your strength back soon enough." Beloose chuckled.

"Until then, I wish to know if you can see what she sees." Dax noted.

"And how do we do that?" Raph asked.

"Close your eyes and focus on her." the guys did as they were told. "Feel her pulse beneath your feet, feel her breathing."

At first, they couldn't see anything. There was only darkness, but once they focused a little more on the pulsations, things changed. They could see the outlines of both Beloose and Dax, as well as, the surrounding forest. Once a pulse passed by them, a blue aura surrounded them for a couple of seconds before disappearing. With each pulse, that same blue glow surrounded them. "I see it." Mikey said.

"There's a blue aura around both of you." Leo said.

"Good." Dax nodded his approval. "That is what you want to see."

"I'm assuming that the colors can change based on the person's emotion." Don said after opening his eyes.

"Precisely." Dax nodded. "With time you will learn which color goes with each emotion. Eventually, you will be able to see further than just your immediate surroundings. You will be able to tell if someone is lying or if someone is a threat. You now have her eyes. You can now see what she sees."

"Cool." Mikey mentioned.

"Now, let us go back to the village." Beloose said. "You are going to need your rest."

"Yeah, I could use a nap after the last couple of days." Mikey stretched.

"Do you think you will have enough energy to make it back to the village?" Dax asked.

"I guess we're about to find out." Raph said.

"Fair enough. Just let me know if you need to stop and we will wait for you."

Leo stopped the two natives before they got going. "Actually, why don't you guys go on ahead. We'll meet you there."

Dax looked back at them curiously. "You are sure?"

"Yeah, we got this."

Dax nodded his head. "Very well." he left the brothers and the cubs, guiding Beloose back home.

The brothers stayed put for a bit longer, underneath Tandaya. Both because they were still kind of tired and because they were just feeling at peace. This was a fresh new start for all of them. They sat down, just enjoying the fresh air.

"Well guys, this is it, isn't it?" Don said. He sounded a bit nervous, but happy at the same time. "We're really doing this."

"Yeah... we are." Leo confirmed. "It's kinda weird, huh?"

"Yep." Raph stated simply. "Never thought we'd be doing something like this."

"Do you guys think that Master Splinter would be okay with this?" Mikey suddenly asked as he reached down to pet the cub that was lounging next to him.

A silence fell over them at the mention of their late father. After a couple of seconds Leo smiled and said. "Yeah, I think so. He always wanted us to be happy above anything else. I'm sure he'd be okay with this. He'd probably be happy for us."

The younger brothers agreed. "Yeah, you're probably right." Raph said. A light breeze blew by, rustling the vines of Tandaya and knocking a few blossoms off in the process. Moments like this were hard to find for them. Normally they would have to drive all the way to Casey's farmhouse for some fresh air like this. Now, they can do this all the time.

Mikey stood up and got ready to head back to the village. "Come on guys, let's go home." he and his brothers started to make their way back to the village with the cubs trotting along behind them.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyyy, it's over. So glad you all joined me. I'm kinda sad that it's over. Sequel will be out soon... hopefully. Most likely going to be called Moving Forward, so keep on the look out for that if you're interested.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think.


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